Heat dome breaks records, seaplane makes emergency East River landing

Extreme heat baked the Northeast over the holiday weekend, leaving New Jersey officials to investigate at least 19 suspected heat-related deaths. The same stretch of dangerous weather also preceded a separate emergency in Manhattan, where a seaplane made a hard landing in the East River after the pilot issued a Mayday call.

NOAA warned on July 2 that a persistent heat dome would drive heat index values to 105 to 115 degrees across much of the Mid-South, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, with numerous daily temperature records expected. In New York City, heat index values climbed as high as 110 degrees, while heat-fueled thunderstorms knocked out power to thousands of customers across the region. Central Park hit 100 degrees on Thursday, July 2, matching the city’s hottest reading since 1966 and marking the first triple-digit temperature there since 2012.

New Jersey Health Commissioner Dr. Raynard Washington said the suspected heat deaths began as early as Thursday, July 2. Many of the people who died were found in homes without air conditioning, and most of the deaths occurred in central and northern New Jersey.

The East River incident unfolded Sunday, July 5, near East 23rd Street and the FDR Drive in Manhattan. The FAA identified the aircraft as a Kodiak 100 seaplane and said a wing strut snapped during the landing. The plane had taken off from East Hampton Airport, and video from the scene showed it upright and floating before it was towed back to a dock.

The FDNY said eight people were rescued from the aircraft, and at least two suffered minor injuries. Air traffic control audio indicated the pilot issued a Mayday before the hard water landing. The crash was the second East River seaplane incident in about three weeks, after a June 13 emergency near Whitestone, Queens, where a pilot and one passenger were taken off safely with no injuries.