Air Quality Alert Continues As Smoke Lingers Over Long Island: DEC

LONG ISLAND, NY — The Canadian wildfire smoke is still lingering and blanketing Long Island with hazy skies, and the Department of Environmental Conservation and Department of Health have upgraded the air quality alert to unhealthy for all.

The Air Quality Health Advisory has been in effect since Wednesday, and there is potential for temporary spikes in "very unhealthy" air quality, according to the NYS DEC.

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The advisory for particulate matter is in effect statewide through Thursday until midnight.

AccuWeather Meteorologist Peyton Simmers said the air quality is expected to become worse through the day, with levels reaching towards 150.

"It is important for people to limit their time outdoors," Simmers said. "This goes for pets as well."

Towns closer to Manhattan will have slightly worse air quality, but not a massive difference, Simmers said. The Air Quality Index will remain elevated on Friday, but most likely not nearly as high as Thursday's.

For the weekend, she said it looks like it will be reprieved from the poor air quality as the smoke moves away from the city. Long Islanders may still see smoke next week, but it will be higher in the sky and will not impact air quality as much, Simmers said.

Governor Hochul encourages New Yorkers to avoid spending time outdoors if possible, especially with high temperatures as well. She advises that sensitive groups should take particular caution, including by wearing masks.

There are more than 100,000 N95-style masks available to counties statewide, and the MTA will be distributing masks to commuters at Penn Station and Grand Central.

According to the DEC's Air Quality Index, a large portion of New York, including Western New York and all of Long Island are in the red zone, or "unhealthy," as of 9 a.m. on July 16.

Snapshots of AQI from towns across Long Island as of 9 a.m. on July 16, according to the Weather Channel:

• Uniondale – 152
• Oyster Bay – 160
• Syosset – 157
• Massapequa – 150
• Smithtown – 164
• Bay Shore – 158
• Patchogue – 165
• Riverhead – 121
• Southampton – 134
• East Hampton – 152

The AQI details how clean or polluted the air is, and the higher the AQI value, the greater the health concern, the NYS DEC said. If the AQI is above 100, an alert is issued for sensitive groups to take precautions.

Fine particulate matter, which the AQI is measured by are inhalable pollutant particle with a diameter less than 2.5 micrometers that can enter the lungs and bloodstream, and can impact the lungs and heart, according to AccuWeather.

Exposure to unhealthy air quality can lead to coughing, difficulty breathing, aggravated asthma, and potentially the development of chronic respiratory disease, AccuWeather said.

New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Christina Farrell said that they have activated their air quality emergency protocols, extended cooling center operations, and expanded mask distribution.

"The forecast has changed, and our posture has changed with it," Farrell said.