Keeping Cool in the Heat
We’re looking at a possible heatwave, as the next three days are expected to be at or above 90 degrees. Yikes. So what do you do to keep cool?
Keep hydrated: Be sure to drink enough water.
Stay out of the sun from 10am-2pm, if possible: And stay out of the heat as much as you can. If you feel you’ve got to exercise outdoors, do so before the sun is up or after it’s set.
Keep an eye on elderly and sick neighbors: If you know of someone who might be affected by the heat, be sure to check in on them.
Your pets hate the heat, too: Keep them hydrated, keep walks to the shade and don’t over-exercise them, and consider a summer haircut to help keep them cool.
Open a fire hydrant legally: Visit our firefighters of Da Pride a Flatbush on Cortelyou and ask for a spray cap, which opens a hydrant. Without the cap, “the hydrant can lose over a thousand gallons a minute,” a firefighter told Brokelyn last year. “With a cap, we save a lot of water.” You face a $1,000 fine if you open one without a cap.
Visit a cooling center: For anyone who doesn’t have access to a cool environment, or who is at risk for heat-related illnesses, the city opens cooling centers in air-conditioned public community centers, senior centers, and public libraries, which you’re welcome to go to for some relief.
Some nearby options include:
Dorchester Senior Center
1419 Dorchester Rd, 718-941-6700
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm, may be extended during heat emergency
Ft. Greene Hazel Brooks Senior Center
951 Ocean Ave, 347-435-3287
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm
Senior Citizens League of Flatbush Senior Center
550 Ocean Pkwy, 718-438-7771
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm, may be extended during heat emergency
Cortelyou Library
1305 Cortelyou Road, 718-693-7763
Hours: M 10-6; Tu 10-6; W 10-8; Th 10-6; F 10-6; Sa 10-5
(Note: It’s not on the OEM map, but it’s open, and it’s cool.)
Flatbush Library
22 Linden Blvd, 718-856-0813
Hours: M 10-6; Tu 1-8; W 10-6; Th 10-6; F 10-6; Sa 10-5
Kensington Library
410 Ditmas Ave, 718-435-9431
Hours: M 10-6; Tu 1-8; W 10-6; Th 1-8; F 10-6;Sa 10-5
Be sure to call the cooling centers ahead to confirm that they’re open.