Hazy, orange skies cover Queens and NYC
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Orange covered haze enveloped almost all of new york city and queens on wednesday. photo by scott edward carver
By Ryan Schwach
An orange-colored, smoky haze coated Queens and New York City for several hours on Wednesday as the city became enveloped in wildfire smoke that blew down from Canada, forcing city officials to cancel events and urge New Yorkers to stay indoors.
“Yesterday New Yorkers saw and smelled something that has never impacted us on this scale before,” Mayor Eric Adams said at a briefing Wednesday morning with emergency and healthcare officials. “As I was out walking the streets, clearly we knew something was happening that was beyond normal…we could see it, we could smell it and we felt it.”
Air quality dropped to record levels, and were considered hazardous and unhealthy to those getting exposed to it for long periods of time, particularly for sensitive groups including the elderly, children and those with respiratory conditions.
Some flights were grounded on Wednesday after wildfire smoke traveling from Canada coated Queens and New York City. AP photo by David R. Martin
“The fine particulate matter in the air can get into people’s lungs, causing inflammation and worsen conditions like asthma, chronic lung disease or underlying heart conditions,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. “Older adults may be particularly vulnerable due to declines in lung function and weaker immune systems. Children may also be more susceptible due to poor air quality because their lungs are still developing.”
“Our health guidance to all New Yorkers is to limit outdoor activity as much as possible,” he added.
The levels reached well past 400 in the air quality index, the New York Times reported, the worst in the city since that metric came into existence in 1999. The levels were so low, it made New York City the city with the worst air quality in the world on Tuesday.
Over the course of the day, New Yorkers compared the scene to science fiction films like “Blade Runner 2049” and “Dune,” noting the city’s apocalyptic feel.
In Queens, amber glow and campfire smell extended from the edge of Astoria all the way down to the Rockaway peninsula, as the wildfire smoke gradually moved southwards.
Queens’ LaGuardia Airport imposed a ground stop, stopping flights due to low visibility, and parks and beaches were closed at 3 p.m.
The sky over Astoria on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. Eagle photo by Jacob Kaye
“We expect this to be a multiple day event,” said Zach Iscol, commissioner of the city Office of Emergency Management.
In order to stay safe, health officials recommended staying entirely indoors when possible, keeping windows closed and making sure AC units are filtering the air.
And if you have to go outside, officials recommend breaking out the KN-95 and N-95 masks that were in common use during the COVID-19 pandemic, and limiting your exertion while outdoors.
“No training for marathons,” the mayor said.
