‘Unprecedented does not begin to describe this event’: Wildfire haze smothers East Coast
Soot levels in the air reached dangerous levels in cities across the U.S. on Wednesday, some reaching more than 10 times the standard that EPA considers safe for breathing.
The unhealthy haze that gripped vast swaths of the United States on Wednesday turned skies milky white, ushered schoolchildren indoors, put hospitals on alert and peaked air pollution far beyond federal health standards. And there’s little the government can do about it.
The primary cause: smoke wafting downwind from more than 150 wildfires burning in Quebec Province, Canada, with no immediate respite in sight.
……..
From the normally pristine Adirondack Mountains in New York state to central North Carolina, rural and urban areas alike suffered from soot levels that EPA rated as either unhealthy or very unhealthy. As of midmorning Wednesday, Detroit and New York City ranked second and third, respectively, among the world’s metro areas with the worst air quality, according to the Swiss firm IQAir.
Poor visibility from the smoke also caused cascading delays for flights in and around New York City on Wednesday afternoon, some lasting up to an hour. The Federal Aviation Administration briefly halted arriving flights at New York’s LaGuardia Airport and has slowed departures at airports around the city, the agency said.
……..
……..
In Washington, where soot levels were more than five times EPA’s daily exposure standard, public school leaders Wednesday canceled recess, athletic practices and all other outdoor activities
On Twitter, New York City Mayor Eric Adams urged residents with heart or breathing problems to “try to limit your outdoor activities today to the absolute necessities.”
“Everyone should limit their exposure by staying indoors and closing windows, especially those with risk factors,” the Maryland Department of the Environment wrote in a website alert.
……..
- Discussion
-
'Unprecedented does not begin to describe this event': Wildfire haze smothers East Coast https://t.co/zgXThhzWaX
— POLITICO (@politico) June 7, 2023
Poor air quality in the eastern United States caused the cancellation of two professional baseball games, a women’s basketball game and a women’s soccer match. https://t.co/TJE95f8iiW
— The Hill (@thehill) June 7, 2023
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.