News

Nov 03, 2023

Canadian Wildfires Flood U.S. With Smoke. Is Louisiana Safe?

NEW YORK (KPEL News) - Wildfires in Canada have been sending a lot of smoke our

NEW YORK (KPEL News) - Wildfires in Canada have been sending a lot of smoke our way, with major American cities like New York looking almost apocalyptic.

Hundreds of wildfires have been burning around Canada, from British Columbia and Alberta in the west, as well as Nova Scotia and Quebec in the east. But while Canada is in turmoil, American cities are also struggling under a thick blanket of smoke.

Photos from New York City show just how bad it is, like this image from Times Square.

According to WSYR in Syracuse:

The Air Quality Index, or AQI, jumped to 172 for Syracuse Tuesday afternoon, which is an unhealthy level for everyone regardless of overall health conditions. New York City ranked among the worst air quality in the world Tuesday, according to IQAir.

The most recent update, however, shows the Air Quality Index in Syracuse is 411, which is deemed hazardous.

It's not much better in the rest of the northeast.

The good news for Louisiana is that current weather patterns show the smoke cycling out to the Atlantic rather than dipping further down south. Multiple weather maps, including an interactive one at the New York Times website, shows wind patterns taking the haze out to see, but some of that haze could get as low as North Carolina.

But Louisiana isn't without risk. Back in 2021, Louisiana's national forest, Kisatchie, saw several wildfires.

Follow these simple tips to stay safe when there is an air quality alert, according to the National Weather Service.