Heat in New York, August 8 to 10, 2001

A Bermuda high pressure system "pumped" hot temperatures and high humidities across the region.The 6 day heat wave began on Sunday, August 5th, when temperatures first reached 90 degrees at Central Park. Record high temperatures at Central Park were broken on two consecutive days, August 8th and 9th. High temperatures at Central Park reached 103 degrees on the 9th and 99 degrees on the 7th and 8th. Heat indices peaked across the entire region on Thursday, August 9th to between 105 and 110 degrees. Heat indices were also quite high on Friday, August 10th, reaching 105 to 110 degrees, as humidity levels increased, despite slightly lower temperatures.On Monday, August 6th, high temperatures ranged from 90 degrees at White Plains to 94 at Central Park. Heat indices in urban areas ranged from 95 to 100 degrees. On Tuesday, August 7th, high temperatures ranged from 91 degrees at Montauk Point to 99 at Central Park. Most temperatures were from the mid to upper 90s. Heat indices in urban and inland areas ranged from 98 to 103 degrees. On Wednesday, August 8th, high temperatures ranged from 92 degrees at Westhampton Beach to a record breaking 99 degrees at Central Park. Heat indices ranged from 100 to 105 degrees across the entire area. On Thursday, August 9th, high temperatures in urban and inland areas ranged from 100 to 105 degrees with heat indices near 105 degrees. On Friday, August 10th, high temperatures ranged from 91 degrees at Farmingdale, to 97 degrees at Central Park. Despite slightly lower temperatures, increased humidity levels led to heat indices ranging from 105 to 110 degrees in highly urban and inland areas.As temperatures rose higher each day, demand for electricity increased. Scattered power outages first occurred in urban areas on August 7th, then spread across the suburbs on the 8th and became more widespread on August 9th and 10th. Excessive heat caused a portion of Sunrise Highway at Exit 40 (near Route 231) to "buckle," which caused road closure. During August 7th and 8th, the Long Island Power Authority reported about 21,000 outages which were scattered across Nassau and Suffolk Counties. The Mayor's Office of Emergency Management in NYC opened "cooling centers" throughout the city on Tuesday, August 7th.There were also 4 deaths attributed to the excessive heat. Three individuals from Manhattan - two women and one man, and another woman from Brooklyn perished. Their ages ranged from 57 to 82. Two of the victims died in their homes, while the other two perished while hospitalized.In Suffolk County, a male in Wyandanch was found in his apartment in critical condition with a high fever. There was no air conditioning in his apartment. Farmers, particularly in eastern Suffolk County on Long Island, reported moderate crop damage due to the excessive heat. Leafy vegetable and potato crops suffered the greatest damage from the extreme heat.