The Big Apple’s Stinkiest Summer: Rising Heat and Humidity Amplify Odor Complaints

The Big Apple’s Stinkiest Summer: Rising Heat and Humidity Amplify Odor Complaints
Edited by: TJVNews.com

New York City, known for its iconic skyline, bustling streets, and cultural diversity, is experiencing one of its stinkiest summers in recent years. According to a report on Friday in The New York Post, the city’s non-emergency line, 311, has been inundated with complaints about foul smells, driven by three heat waves that have exacerbated the situation.

Since May 1, the number of 311 calls regarding unpleasant odors has surged, surpassing every year since 2010, with the exception of 2022, as was reported by The Post.  That year saw a spike in complaints due to relaxed street cleaning rules implemented during the pandemic. This year, the combination of high temperatures and humidity has created a perfect storm for unpleasant smells.

Manhattan commuters have described the experience as an “assault on the schnoz.” Retail worker Marisol Gomez, 28, expressed her frustration to The Post with the odors in Midtown, stating, “It just hits you in the face, makes you want to throw up.” She speculated that the cause could be dead rats or inadequate cleaning in certain areas, noting that the heat and humidity make the stench particularly unbearable.

Meteorologist Steven DiMartino from Freehold, New Jersey, explained that the city’s recent weather conditions have played a significant role in the lingering and spreading of these odors, as per The Post report. “Temperatures have been above normal, but what has been really record-breaking and impressive has been the humidity, and that’s the key,” DiMartino told Gothamist, which first reported on the soaring odor complaint data.

High humidity levels lead to increased water vapor in the air, which diffuses odor molecules and makes the air feel “soupy.” This process also helps rotting food break down from solids into pungent gases more rapidly. The Post reported that DiMartino noted that conditions earlier this month, where temperatures exceeded 90 degrees and the humidity was exceptionally high, were “optimal conditions” for odors to spread and linger.

DiMartino explained that the current weather conditions are perfect for amplifying bad smells. A garbage truck that might usually spread a putrid whiff across a single block can now extend its foul scent over several blocks, with the stench lingering longer than usual. This phenomenon is partly due to temperature inversion, which creates an ideal environment for bacterial growth. The Post report said that DiMartino compared it to a warm locker room filled with hot, steaming sports jerseys. “After a long day of practice, you throw your uniforms in the hamper, close the lid and just let it sweat,” he said. “Now when you open up the hamper, i.e., the garbage truck, that stink is really able to grow.”

While there is no specific 311 complaint category for “garbage smell,” the service includes a range of odor-related complaints from “pigeon odor” to “sewer odor.” The lack of a dedicated category for garbage smells has not deterred residents from voicing their concerns about the pervasive stench.
Ollie Robinson, a marketing manager from Hell’s Kitchen, tweeted, “It is the most disgusting cocktail of all the worst smells I can think of. The garbage is in there but so is a little bit of sewage, possibly some throw-up. It is bad and it is strong.” Others likened the city to a massive, musty sauna, with Robert, a 62-year-old law firm employee, telling The Post  “When it gets hot to where it gets humid, it’s worse. Humidity creates funk.”

Despite the overwhelming complaints, a spokesperson for the Department of Sanitation insists that there is actually less trash on the streets this year compared to previous summers. The report in The Post noted that Joshua Goodman, a spokesman for the NYC Department of Sanitation, stated, “The fact is, the ‘hot garbage smell’ is actually far, far less prevalent today than it has been in the past, thanks to our containerization programs.”  He explained to The Post that New Yorkers set out 44 million pounds of trash each day, and historically, it all went directly onto the curb. This year, however, the city has implemented containerization requirements, covering 70% of trash disposal by this fall.

The Department of Sanitation’s containerization program aims to mitigate these odors by keeping garbage contained rather than exposed on the streets. The Post reported that this initiative is part of a broader effort to manage the city’s waste more effectively and reduce the impact of extreme weather conditions on the urban environment.