Canadian wildfires expected to impact air quality across Tri-State Area through Friday
NEW YORK -- An Air Quality Alert is impacting most of the Tri-State Area.
Chopper 2 flew over the skyline Thursday and could see the smoke from the Canadian wildfires hanging over the buildings and blocking out the sun.
New York has issued a statewide health advisory, while New Jersey issued one for some regions.
Watch Ali Bauman's report
One could barely see the New York City skyline from Hoboken on Thursday.
"You can barely see Wall Street because of the haze," Hoboken resident Tim Karr said. "It's changed my exercise routine. I'm not even sure that I should be out here."
"I imagine working out may be a little bit tough today," Hoboken resident Andrew Miller said.
"I don't have a hard time breathing, but my eyes won't stop, they just won't stop watering," Hoboken resident Juliet Boles said.
In New York, folks showed up at Central Park, tickets in hand to see Shakespeare in the Park, but Thursday night's performance was canceled due to the air quality.
"I am so disappointed. They canceled so late," Long Island resident Zadia Feliciano said.
"This is the second year it's been canceled for us, but we make a big trip from Long Island to come here," Long Island resident Michelle Rothbort said.
It was evident early Thursday from what you could see and smell that it wasn't as bad as it was a few weeks ago, but it's still not clean.
State officials warned smoke from Canadian wildfires is wafting across New York.
"Air quality is unhealthy in every corner of the state of New York," Gov. Kathy Hochul said. "The truth is, there is no end in sight... The numbers at this moment do not seem to be trending to be as high as they were three weeks ago when the skies were literally orange, but there are still significant health risks."
Thursday's hazy skyline paled in comparison to the orange air we experienced a few weeks ago.
Experts say vulnerable groups could still be at risk, including young children, adults over 65, and people with heart conditions, as well as cardiovascular or lung diseases.
"If you fall into those groups, we ask you take precautions. But it's still appropriate for most people in the city to enjoy the outdoors today," New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said.
Symptoms include sore throat, congestion, watery or itchy eyes and shortness of breath.
"We just have to make sure we're careful with our kids that do have respiratory issues," Dr. Denise Nunez, a pediatrician at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore, said.
Nunez suggested parents send kids out with a mask - at least, in their pocket.
"If you have a child that has asthma, I suggest you make an appointment with your pediatrician and make sure you have all the medication they need," Nunez said.
Hochul said it is impossible to predict how the air quality will be for the holiday weekend and Fourth of July on Tuesday, but her office is tracking the numbers and will send out emergency cell phone alerts to people if the air quality reaches very unhealthy.
It's the first week of summer camp at Oasis in Central Park. While the kids keep score on their game, counselors are keeping an eye on the air quality.
"We monitor it hour by hour," Oasis Day Camp Health Director Rachel Estrella said.
Camp counselors have a backup plan to spend a summer day indoors.
"In the event the air quality has gone bad, we'll call them in. We have masks to transition back to the building and we have plenty of water to keep their throats moist," Oasis Day Camp Program Director Mark Dunn said.
What to know about Canadian wildfire smoke & air quality
- Check your zip code: AQI interactive map
- New Yorkers: Find a free mask
- Canadian wildfire status update
- Air Quality Index (AQI) explained
- How to protect your pets
- See it: Photos from earlier this month
CBS New York's John Dias spent the morning in Long Island City, Queens, speaking with people about how to prepare for the day ahead. He met new mom Shana Horowitz, who gave birth to twin boys in early June -- just days before the wildfire smoke consumed the city, making it the most polluted place in the world for a short time.
"They were only 3 days old and they were premature, so I was very nervous," she said.
Fortunately, it seems to be a different story this time around.
"I have been seeing the alerts, so I am just going to keep tracking," Horowitz said.
Many Dias spoke with said they're concerned the smoke from the fires will continue to cause problems for the area, with climate change making things worse.
"I think it's probably just going to start happening more often," said Greg Wilker of Sunnyside, Queens.
"When [ash] gets in your lungs, basically you're getting a burn," Stony Brook Medicine Pulmonologist Dr. Norman Edelman said.
How air quality impacts health
Officials predict the area will likely see impacts of smoke through Friday, and they say to still be careful this weekend before the Fourth of July.
"The smoke is out there. If you're watching any of the forecasting nationally, the smoke has been sitting in place and dissipating quite slowly. And we expect that plume to move into the state a bit more quickly than it moves out of it," New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said Wednesday
Emergency cellphone alerts will be used to warn New Yorker if the Air Quality Index exceeds the 200 threshold for "very unhealthy" and is sustained for longer than an hour.
Meanwhile, the governor sent a third crew of forest rangers to Canada to help fight the fires. The state will also be providing hundreds of thousands of face masks at major transit hubs.
