Air quality is so bad in Washington that it broke the monitoring system
Published September 13, 2020 By Sarah K. Burris
Smoke in the western United States (Photos: NOAA)
While fires are destroying homes and lives, those in safety still aren’t quite as protected as they might think. According to the Seattle Times, air quality has been so bad that it broke the monitoring system.
“As of Sunday morning, air quality readings throughout Eastern and Central Washington, as well as Seattle, showed very unhealthy to hazardous levels of air pollution for everyone,” said the update.
For anyone suffering from the after-affects of the coronavirus, COPD, lung cancer, asthma, and other breathing challenges, the air is downright dangerous. Children and the elderly are especially at risk.
On the West Coast, the problem is that the air is simply “sitting” on the state. There is weather on its way that should help calm things down.
“But the Washington Department of Ecology says it will be Monday before Western Washington sees improvements,” said the report.
The Center for Disease Control encourages Americans to stay indoors with everything closed up tight.
“Do not rely on dust masks for protection,” the CDC also says. “Paper ‘comfort’ or ‘dust’ masks commonly found at hardware stores are designed to trap large particles, such as sawdust. These masks will not protect your lungs from the small particles found in wildfire smoke. Read more on choosing and using respirators to protect your lungs from smoke and ash.”
N95 IS THE ONLY REAL PARTICULATE RESPIRATOR
See the graphics below:
The smoke is not clearing as fast as we hoped, but help is on the way. You can see the cleaner marine air out off the coast – it just has a huge amount of smoke to push out before it can reach us. It will be Monday before W. WA sees major improvements. https://t.co/Pcx2t495tW pic.twitter.com/A6o6mctTZE—
While fires are destroying homes and lives, those in safety still aren’t quite as protected as they might think. According to the Seattle Times, air quality has been so bad that it broke the monitoring system.
“As of Sunday morning, air quality readings throughout Eastern and Central Washington, as well as Seattle, showed very unhealthy to hazardous levels of air pollution for everyone,” said the update.
For anyone suffering from the after-affects of the coronavirus, COPD, lung cancer, asthma, and other breathing challenges, the air is downright dangerous. Children and the elderly are especially at risk.
On the West Coast, the problem is that the air is simply “sitting” on the state. There is weather on its way that should help calm things down.
“But the Washington Department of Ecology says it will be Monday before Western Washington sees improvements,” said the report.
The Center for Disease Control encourages Americans to stay indoors with everything closed up tight.
“Do not rely on dust masks for protection,” the CDC also says. “Paper ‘comfort’ or ‘dust’ masks commonly found at hardware stores are designed to trap large particles, such as sawdust. These masks will not protect your lungs from the small particles found in wildfire smoke. Read more on choosing and using respirators to protect your lungs from smoke and ash.”
N95 IS THE ONLY REAL PARTICULATE RESPIRATOR
See the graphics below:
The smoke is not clearing as fast as we hoped, but help is on the way. You can see the cleaner marine air out off the coast – it just has a huge amount of smoke to push out before it can reach us. It will be Monday before W. WA sees major improvements. https://t.co/Pcx2t495tW pic.twitter.com/A6o6mctTZE—
WA Department of Ecology 
(@EcologyWA) September 13, 2020
Here's a smoke model forecast for the next 36 hours. It shows improvements expanding across eastern WA Monday. Unfortunately some spots in southeast WA & the ID Panhandle may not reap these benefits. Confidence is low on where the smoke goes through the week. #wawx #idwx pic.twitter.com/xuY3zoNi8J
— NWS Spokane (@NWSSpokane) September 13, 2020
The. West. Coast. Is. On. Fire. And the air quality is horrific and dangerous everywhere today — and there really isn’t anywhere accesible for people to go to escape. And it’s only getting worse. #ActOnClimate and VOTE! pic.twitter.com/EDImUENQCT
— Erin Schrode (@ErinSchrode) September 13, 2020
It's bad out there. Air quality is very unhealthy to hazardous across most of W. WA. The silver lining is that this is as bad as it should get, although clearing won't start until Sunday (Monday for E. WA). Stay indoors, stay safe. Forecast – https://t.co/2u6VAV6Dy8 pic.twitter.com/mTTPBDv4J3
— WA Department of Ecology (@EcologyWA) September 12, 2020
(@EcologyWA) September 13, 2020Here's a smoke model forecast for the next 36 hours. It shows improvements expanding across eastern WA Monday. Unfortunately some spots in southeast WA & the ID Panhandle may not reap these benefits. Confidence is low on where the smoke goes through the week. #wawx #idwx pic.twitter.com/xuY3zoNi8J
— NWS Spokane (@NWSSpokane) September 13, 2020
The. West. Coast. Is. On. Fire. And the air quality is horrific and dangerous everywhere today — and there really isn’t anywhere accesible for people to go to escape. And it’s only getting worse. #ActOnClimate and VOTE! pic.twitter.com/EDImUENQCT
— Erin Schrode (@ErinSchrode) September 13, 2020
It's bad out there. Air quality is very unhealthy to hazardous across most of W. WA. The silver lining is that this is as bad as it should get, although clearing won't start until Sunday (Monday for E. WA). Stay indoors, stay safe. Forecast – https://t.co/2u6VAV6Dy8 pic.twitter.com/mTTPBDv4J3
— WA Department of Ecology
(@EcologyWA) September 12, 2020
No comments:
Post a Comment