The city of Cleveland and the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) have issued air quality alerts, warning people that air quality monitors are finding “unhealthy” levels of air pollution from winds blowing smoke from Canadian wildfires to Northeast Ohio skies.
The alerts will be in effect until Thursday, June 8.
Children and teens, older adults and people with heart or lung disease shouldn’t participate in strenuous outdoor activities or stay outside for a prolonged amount of time, according to the Cleveland Department of Public Health.
Why is the air quality so bad?
There are several wildfires occurring across Ontario and Quebec and the wind flow coming from the north is forcing smoke south across the Great Lakes and northeastern seaboard.
The pollution is worse than what we’ve seen in the past because there’s more smoke, said Kirk Lombardy, a meteorologist for the U.S. National Weather Service in Cleveland.
“It’s rather unusual because of the intensity of the smoke being produced,” he said. “As far as the number of fires they’re having up there, there are more than we’d expect to see this time of the year.”
He said New York state is dealing with a large plume of smoke that could move further west to Ohio if wind conditions push it here over the next two days.
What’s the health risk?
Even those without medical conditions, may experience breathing problems if they spend too much time outside, said Cleveland Department of Public Health Director Dr. Dave Margolius.
“The air pollution has this fine particulate matter that when you breathe it in causes inflammation in your airways, and in your lungs and that inflammation closes down your airways, making it harder to breathe,” he said.
Children and people with conditions that find it difficult to breathe should take extra caution, said Dr. Lisa Sammon, an allergist, who works at Akron Children’s Hospital.
“If it continues to increase, it is important if you do have structural lung disease or other lung problems to stay indoors because that could potentially reduce any irritant effect or exacerbation that could potentially make the symptoms worse,” she said.
It’s important for people to make sure they are following their asthma or other lung therapies as recommended by their doctor, Sammon added.
What you can do
People should avoid car transportation, opting for public transit to reduce emissions and refrain from burning yard waste or trash which also impacts air quality, said Margolius.
People should consider moving outdoor plans inside, according to Sammon.
“[We] don't know necessarily the direction of the wind, but if there is that potential risk that we're going to have to deal with this for several days, the best thing is to be aware and to plan ahead,” she said.
When will conditions improve?
Particulate levels are expected to remain elevated through Thursday, the Ohio EPA said. But the haze may be here through Saturday, according to Lombardy.
He said a low-pressure system coming from the southwest should be enough to change the wind direction on Sunday.
People should check local air quality updates posted hourly at www.airnow.gov as conditions are rapidly changing, Margolius said.
