You may notice a haziness in the air in Savannah on Tuesday. Here's why.
Smoke from the Canadian wildfires has made its way down to the U.S. eastern coast and is impacting parts of Georgia, South Carolina and much of Florida.
The Savannah area especially may notice a haziness in the air. While the AirNow.gov interactive map indicates that much of the smoke will be out of Georgia by Wednesday, the air quality on Tuesday may cause mild issues for those with air pollutant sensitivities.
The smoke more greatly affected Florida, with central Florida having an "unhealthy" air quality rating as of 2 p.m. Wednesday. The air quality in Jacksonville, Florida, two hours south of Savannah. was listed as "unhealthy for sensitive groups."
To check the current air quality where you live, go to https://www.airnow.gov/?city=Savannah&state=GA&country=USA
A plume of elevated smoke from Canadian wildfires will impact the region today. Skies will be hazy with visibility as low as 4-6 miles. Large air quality issues are not expected at this time, but a small number of people who are sensitive to smoke could have issues. #scwx #gawx pic.twitter.com/oUlHgwRPlR
— NWS Charleston, SC (@NWSCharlestonSC) October 3, 2023
Where is the smoke from Canadian wildfires going?
You can track smoke from wildfires here.
Is the haze dangerous? What is the air quality in Savannah today?
The AirNow air quality forecast shows that for some areas across coastal South Carolina and coastal Georgia is moderate, which make impact those who are sensitive to particle pollution.
Here's a check of some air quality readings across coastal Southeast South Carolina and Southeast Georgia as we approach the noon hour. #scwx #gawx #chswx #savwx pic.twitter.com/tSIV0miETL
— NWS Charleston, SC (@NWSCharlestonSC) October 3, 2023
Is inhaling wildfire smoke dangerous?
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Inhaling smoke can be dangerous because it contains a mixture of hazardous gases and solid particles smaller than a human hair, called particulate matter (the EPA calls it PM2.5) which can easily enter your lungs and bloodstream and cause damage to other organs.
Fortunately, as smoke moves downwind it generally becomes more diluted and widespread but less dangerous, according to Susan Stone, a senior environmental health scientist in EPA’s Office of Air Quality Planning & Standards.
Protect your pets: Bad air quality from Canada wildfire smoke harms your pets, too. How to protect them.
What is PM2.5 pollution?
PM stands for particulate matter, a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets in the air, according to the EPA. It's also called particle pollution. Particle pollution is ranked as:
PM10: Inhalable particles with diameters generally 10 micrometers and smaller
PM2.5: Fine inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 2.5 micrometers and smaller. That's 30x smaller than the diameter of the average human hair.
Contributors: Chris Bridges, Ridah Syed, Laura Schulte, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Air quality near me (Savannah, Ga.): Wildfire smoke impacts U.S. coast
