Smoke from raging wildfires in Canada has triggered air quality alerts in a number of U.S. states, with the sky over New York City rapidly darkening Wednesday afternoon and New York State Governor Kathy Hochul calling the worsening air quality "an emergency crisis."
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The air quality index in New York City reached "hazardous" levels Wednesday afternoon. By 3 p.m., it was above 300, according to U.S. government online platform AirNow, which warned that at that level, "everyone should stay indoors and reduce activity levels."
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has extended its citywide air quality health advisory through midnight Wednesday, and those who have underlying health conditions are advised to avoid outdoor activity as much as possible.
Long Island and Hudson Valley are under the air quality advisory as well. A number of cities and municipalities around the area also issued individual air quality alerts, urging residents to take precautions while cancelling some outdoor events.
In New York City and several large cities across the state, public schools cancelled outdoor activities on Wednesday.
FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS
"The effects of hundreds of wildfires burning across the western provinces to Quebec could be felt as far away as the greater New York City metropolitan area," NBC News reported.
Due to the air quality, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has paused and delayed flights at certain area airports to mitigate the reduced visibility the region is experiencing.
"Flights from the Upper Midwest and East Coast bound for LaGuardia International Airport have been paused," it noted. "Flights to Newark Liberty International Airport have been slowed."
LIBRARY CLOSURES
New York City's three library systems closed their doors at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, a few hours earlier than normal, because of deteriorating air quality conditions. The three systems have hundreds of combined locations and normally stay open until at least 6 p.m. on weekdays. Many unhoused people spend time at the city's libraries during the day.
"New Yorkers tried to cope as the miasma of 150 wildfires burning 500 miles away in Quebec blanketed the city for a second day," The New York Times reported.
In Brooklyn, some commuters appeared to repurpose pandemic-era masks for the walk to the subway, then removed them once they packed into air-conditioned trains. In the Bronx, playgrounds were empty, their jungle gyms nearly obscured by the haze. In Staten Island, the Statue of Liberty was barely visible.
LASTING HAZARD
The worst period of hazy, unhealthy air in New York City would last from Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning, according to a New York Times analysis of computer forecast models. The haze would likely vary in thickness through the overnight hours and could last through the day Thursday.
According to Basil Seggos, the commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the hazy conditions in New York are likely to continue on Thursday and Friday, and potentially extend into the weekend.
"Ultimately," Seggos was quoted as saying, "this is going to continue for the next few days and likely into the weekend. We'll pray for rains up north and for winds to shift."
Hospitals in New York City and elsewhere across the state said they had not seen a major uptick in emergency room visits related to the hazardous air quality conditions yet, but warned that people should continue to take precautions to avoid breathing in too many contaminants.
The fine particulate matter in the air can "get into people's lungs, cause inflammation and worsen conditions like asthma, chronic lung disease or underlying heart conditions," New York City Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan said at a press conference Wednesday morning.
Older adults and children are particularly vulnerable, and people should limit their time outdoors and wear a high quality mask if they did go out, he added.