Air Quality Advisory Remains in Place as Storms Push Through

The statewide air quality advisory issued by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) on Wednesday remains in effect today, July 18. The atmosphere over the Eastern Lake Ontario region, which includes Oswego County, is rated as “unhealthy” and the advisory remains in effect until 11:59 p.m.

It was put into place due to fine particulate matter in the air caused by wildfires burning across Canada, including northwestern Ontario. the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also rates Oswego County’s air quality as “unhealthy” with an index reading of 174 as of 9 a.m.

Oswego County Public Health Director Vera Dunsmoor said that exposure to particle pollution can cause short-term health effects such as irritation to the eyes, nose and throat; coughing; sneezing; runny nose and shortness of breath.

“Everyone should take extra precautions today and avoid outdoor physical activities,” she said. “However, those with heart and lung disease, older adults, children and teens – who are all particularly sensitive to pollutants – should take extra care to limit the amount of time they are active outside.

“We encourage everyone to continue checking the air quality index and plan their activities accordingly,” she added.

Until winds push the smoky air out of the area, people are reminded to keep windows and doors closed to protect indoor air quality and use air purifiers or air conditioners with high efficiency filtration if available.

The federal EPA also recommends respirators such as N-95 masks to help filter out smoke and ash particles from the air. The Oswego County Health Department delivered masks to cooling centers around the county earlier this week. Due to limited supply, only two masks per person will be issued. People are advised to call ahead to the cooling center to ensure that it has masks available.

Go to Oswego County’s online map of cooling centers for locations and contact information. Click on “Beat the Heat” to go directly to the map or “Cooling Centers” on the Oswego County Health Department’s website for details. For help, call the health department at 315-349-3545.

The National Weather Service Buffalo Forecast Office issued a weather brief this morning anticipating an enhanced risk of severe thunderstorms through early evening. The primary threat will be damaging wind gusts; however, tornado activity may also be possible.

“We continue to face a number of weather-related health and safety hazards today, so we ask that people remain vigilant,” said Oswego County Emergency Management Coordinator Terry Bennet. “Pay attention to weather alerts and warnings, make sure your cell phones are charged, your flashlight has fresh batteries and your emergency preparedness kit is stocked.”

People can also sign up for real-time weather alerts from the National Weather Service by downloading the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s app from Google Play or the Apple App Store. They can also go to www.alert.ny.gov to sign up for NY Alerts or text “Oswego” to ‘3-3-3-1-1-1’ for updates.

The Oswego County Health Department continues to monitor the air quality index across the county and residents will be notified if there are any changes. People can check their air quality status at https://www.airnow.gov/?city=Oswego&state=NY&country=USA.