Millions told to stay indoors as eye-burning toxins fill the air in 16 US states TODAY
Millions of Americans are being urged to stay indoors on Friday as dangerous pollution spreads across large swaths of the country.
The National Weather Service issued the alert, warning that 16 US states will endure a dangerous mix of eye-burning ozone, wildfire smoke and fine particle pollution.
Air quality alerts have been issued in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.
Authorities are advising people to limit strenuous outdoor activity, keep windows and doors closed and remain indoors if smoke or smog becomes thick in their area.
The alerts range from one-day advisories to warnings that remain in effect through Sunday night, depending on the location.
Ground-level ozone, commonly known as smog, is the primary concern across much of the East Coast, while wildfire smoke and fine particulate pollution are affecting parts of the West and northern New England.
Health officials warn that the polluted air can irritate the eyes and throat, trigger asthma attacks and make breathing difficult, particularly for children, older adults and those with heart or lung disease.
Residents in the affected states are being told to monitor local conditions and avoid prolonged time outdoors until the air begins to clear.
The National Weather Service issued the alert, warning that 16 US states will endure a dangerous mix of eye-burning ozone, wildfire smoke and fine particle pollution (stock)
In the Northeast, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation issued an Air Quality Health Advisory from 11am to 11pm ET Friday for New York City, Long Island and parts of the Hudson Valley, including New York, Bronx, Kings, Queens, Richmond, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester and Rockland counties.
Officials said outdoor air quality is expected to exceed an Air Quality Index (AQI) value of 100 due to elevated levels of ground-level ozone, a pollutant created when emissions from vehicles, power plants and industrial sources react in sunlight.
A healthy AQI value is between zero and 50.
Connecticut also issued an Air Quality Action Day for southern portions of the state, including Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex and New London counties, where ozone levels may approach or exceed unhealthy standards.
An Action Day for Multiple Pollutants is an official alert declaring that outdoor air quality is unhealthy. It is issued when weather conditions and high pollution combine to create dangerous levels of ozone (smog) and fine particles (dust and soot).
In New Jersey, the warnings are even longer lasting.
The state’s Department of Environmental Protection issued an Air Quality Action Day that remains in effect through 11pm Sunday for counties including Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, Essex and Union, warning that both ground-level ozone and fine particulates may reach unhealthy levels.
Additional Code Orange alerts were issued for much of the state, including Morris, Hunterdon, Somerset, Monmouth, Atlantic, Cape May and Ocean counties.
Arizona’s Phoenix metro area and Flagstaff are also under ozone high pollution advisories, with authorities urging residents to reduce physical activity and limit the use of gasoline-powered equipment (pictured)
A Code Orange Air Quality Alert means that air pollution concentrations within the region mentioned above may become unhealthy for sensitive groups.
Pennsylvania’s Delaware Valley and Susquehanna Valley regions are also under Code Orange alerts on Friday, with officials urging residents to avoid strenuous outdoor exercise.
Maryland has multiple Code Orange Air Quality Alerts in effect for Friday, including the Baltimore metro area, suburban Washington DC and southern Maryland.
Similar warnings have been issued in North Carolina for the Charlotte and Raleigh metro areas, where elevated ozone concentrations are expected throughout the day.
Farther north, smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to degrade air quality across Maine.
The state’s Department of Environmental Protection warned that particle pollution levels could periodically rise into the ‘Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups’ category through Sunday night. Residents are being advised to limit physical activity outdoors if they can smell smoke or if visibility becomes poor.
New Hampshire also issued an Air Quality Alert because of elevated ozone levels, warning that even healthy individuals may experience mild health effects and should consider limiting strenuous outdoor activities.
Meanwhile, parts of Colorado are grappling with both wildfire smoke and elevated ozone concentrations.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment warned that smoke from the Aspen Acres Fire and other large fires in southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah could create periods of moderate to heavy smoke.
Officials said people should remain indoors if smoke becomes thick in their neighborhood and consider temporarily relocating if smoke enters their homes and makes them ill.
California is facing its own air quality concerns. Southern California officials warned that fine particle pollution from Fourth of July fireworks could create harmful conditions from Saturday evening through Sunday afternoon, while the Imperial Valley remains under an ozone pollution alert.
Arizona’s Phoenix metro area and Flagstaff are also under ozone high pollution advisories, with authorities urging residents to reduce physical activity and limit the use of gasoline-powered equipment.
Health officials across the country say the groups most at risk include children, older adults, pregnant people and those with asthma, chronic lung disease or heart conditions.
The advice from authorities is largely the same no matter where residents live: limit time outdoors, avoid strenuous activity, keep windows and doors closed and use air conditioning or air purifiers if available.
