Hundreds of Thousands Told To Stay Inside in 4 States
Hundreds of thousands of residents in four states have been advised to remain indoors as air quality alerts continue to blanket the Midwest.
The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) AirNow map, which offers a real-time snapshot of air quality, shows that air pollution levels across Minnesota and parts of Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa are deemed to be "unhealthy" on Wednesday.
The EPA and the National Weather Service (NWS) urged people to reduce exposure to outdoor air after wildfires and current weather conditions have deteriorated air quality, pushing pollution levels into hazardous territory in several communities.
The ongoing alerts show the health risks posed by smoke and air pollutants carried over vast areas, especially for sensitive groups including children, seniors, and people with respiratory or heart conditions.
Minnesota has been impacted by wildfires this week, adding to the devastation already caused by a string of blazes last month that consumed more than 35,000 acres of land.
The state, as well as Iowa and Wisconsin have been experiencing poor air quality for the last few days.
The Wisconsin cities facing a red warning with Air Quality Index (AQI) scores of between 151-200 (see below) include Eau Claire, La Crosse and Green Bay.
The red warning means that "some members of the general public may experience "health effects," while members of sensitive groups "may experience more serious health effects."
In Minnesota, the red warning covers Rochester and parts of Minneapolis; in Iowa, Mason City; and in Michigan, Menominee and Iron Mountain.
Meanwhile, the NWS has published Air Quality Advisories for millions of people on Tuesday across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Maine.
Various alerts in different states advised that individuals "consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity to reduce the risk of adverse health effects."
It added that if you experience "symptoms such as shortness of breath, coughing, throat irritation or an uncomfortable sensation in your chest, please consider limiting the intensity and duration of your outdoor activities."
In some states, Americans were advised to drive less, work from home, wait to mow the lawn and refill vehicles tanks after sunset.
Smoke from ongoing wildfires, aggravated by stagnant atmospheric conditions, has driven particulate pollution to hazardous levels.
People most at risk include those with chronic heart or lung diseases, older adults, children, pregnant women, and outdoor workers.
Even healthy individuals may experience symptoms such as eye irritation, coughing, or difficulty breathing when air quality levels are particularly poor.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), wrote on its website about air quality alerts: "The color red represents an index value of 151 to 200. This means the air quality is unhealthy. Everyone needs to be concerned. Sensitive groups should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion. Move activities indoors or reschedule to a time when the air quality is better. Everyone else should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion. Take more breaks during all outdoor activities."
The EPA said: "When air quality is in this range, any individual who is active outdoors may experience the respiratory effects described above. Members of sensitive groups are likely to experience more severe effects. EPA's risk assessment indicates that at this level for healthy individuals (adults and children) at moderate exertion."
It added: "Approximately 30 percent are estimated to experience moderate or greater lung function impairment, approximately 15 percent are estimated to experience large or greater lung function impairments, and approximately 5 percent are estimated to experience moderate to severe respiratory symptoms (i.e., chest pain with deep inspiration and aggravated cough)."
Officials will continue to monitor air quality and update guidance as conditions evolve. Residents are urged to stay informed via EPA's AirNow portal and local weather channels for the latest alerts and health recommendations.
Related Articles
Michigan Residents Told to Shut Windows, Adapt Air ConMap Shows States Where People Told to Stay Indoors TodayHundreds of Thousands Told To Stay Indoors in 3 StatesMore Than 200,000 People Told To Stay Indoors in 3 States
2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Will wildfire smoke from Canada, Saharan dust reach Mississippi? Here's what to expect
Mississippi is in for a double whammy this week. The first rounds of Saharan dust are set to sweep across the coast midweek. Meanwhile, smoke from wildfires in Canada is being pushed to the U.S. The haze is affecting air quality across a significant portion of the country, reaching the Gulf, including Florida. The air quality forecast from AirNow, an Environmental Protection Agency site, says Mississippi is under a moderate air quality index for June 4. Here's what to know about the next few days of summer weather in Mississippi, and how you can prepare for lower air quality. As of June 3, more than 200 wildfires were burning in Canada. More than half were out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Thousands of people have been evacuated, and some firefighters from the U.S. are going to help in Alberta and Manitoba. Smoke has affected air quality in the northern and central U.S. for days, and several states have issued air quality alerts. As of June 3, the smoke had drifted south and east, reaching the Eastern Coast as far south as Florida. According to the National Weather Service in Jackson, most of the smoke has stayed high in the atmosphere, but it can reach the surface at night. The smoke could cause vibrant sunrises and sunsets but shouldn't be a cause for concern at ground level. The smoke will stay through at least midweek. A forecast created by shows Mississippi getting a more solid smoke covering on June 4 and 5. A massive plume is set to spread over Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and Alabama around the middle of the week. An AccuWeather forecast shows it hitting Florida on June 4 and pushing over to the Magnolia State by June 6. The dust waves will keep coming all summer. Also known as the Saharan Air Layer, the annual weather phenomenon can help dampen hurricanes. It brings stellar sunsets and sunrises to the U.S. and can affect air quality. Just like the name sounds like, dust and dirt from the Sahara Desert in Africa. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the dry, dusty air forms over the arid region from spring through autumn. Tradewinds can catch the dust, pushing a 2-2.5 mile thick layer in the atmosphere about a mile above the ground or ocean. According to NOAA, it's common for Saharan dust to cross the Atlantic to the Western hemisphere. In the U.S., bands will hit about every three to five days. It usually starts around June, and the strongest activity is from June to the middle of August. Fact check: Magnetic residue in video is sand from Sahara, not evidence of 'chemtrails' Yes. Smoke and Saharan dust can affect air quality. Both can trigger coughing and sinus issues for some people, especially if the coverage is thick. If you're concerned, use a mask outside and an air purifier with a filter indoors. People with asthma or other health issues affected by air quality might want to stay inside as much as possible when the dust is heavy in your area. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines Saharan dust as a form of particulate pollution. It's made of sand and minerals, but it's not the same kind of dust as the household variety with dust mites. Smoke also has small particles that can cause eye to burn, respiratory inflammation and damage the heart and lungs. It can cause headaches and bronchitis. Is Mississippi at risk this year? See summer wildfire forecast from AccuWeather Sort of. It can suppress the energy needed for hurricanes to form and intensify. It's more like starving a storm than making one stop in its tracks automatically. Large amounts of dust can keep the surface of the ocean slightly cooler, which can help prevent storms from growing or forming. According to the National Weather Service, the lower humidity and warm, dry air can also weaken an existing storm with downdrafts or throw off the heat signature of a cyclone. Contributing: Jeanine Santucci Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with Gannett/USA Today. Email her at bbolden@ This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Wildfire smoke from Canada, Saharan dust heading to MS. What to expect
Buzz Feed
36 minutes ago
- Buzz Feed
One Easy Step To Reduce Your Colon Cancer Risk
Dense bean salads, which use beans as a salad base instead of lettuce, are all the rage on social media for good reason. The beans, along with the fresh veggies in the dish, help you reach your daily fiber goal, a number that experts say most Americans don't hit, which isn't good. Eating enough fiber is a crucial way to reduce your risk of colon cancer, a type of cancer that's on the rise in people 50 and younger in the US. (It's recommended that women eat roughly 25 grams of fiber each day while men consume about 38 grams, but most adults eat roughly 10 grams of fiber each day.) Decades ago, researchers found that people in Uganda had very low rates of colon cancer when compared to Americans because of their diet, which was high in fiber — veggies, fruits and grains — and low in meat, said Dr. Ron Quinton, the medical director of the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine at Tulane University in New Orleans. Specifically, colon cancer occurred at a rate of 3.5 out of 100,000 in men in Uganda compared to 51.8 out of 100,000 in men in Connecticut. 'And I think that's the first time that it was really noticed that this was a prevention for colon cancer,' noted Quinton. Meaning, it's really important to prioritize your fiber consumption. There are multiple ways that fiber benefits colon health and even more ways to reach the daily recommended amount. Here's what experts say: Eating enough fiber helps move your stool through your digestive tract. 'Fiber plays an important role in the health of the colon, and when the colon gets unhealthy, then we're set up for development of cancer and other inflammatory diseases,' said Quinton. Overall, fiber adds bulk to the stool, which helps with proper colon function. '[Fiber] makes the stools more easy to move along, so the time that the stool spends in the colon is lessened, so less chance for constipation, more normal stools,' explained Quinton. This is also good for the removal of toxins: 'If there are any toxins in the stool that lead to cancer, they spend less time in the colon, and therefore lessen the chances of cancer exposure or other diseases,' he said. Fiber also benefits the microbiome, which is protective against colon cancer, too. Fiber is also important for the microbiome, which has been the main focus of research in the past decade, said Mary Ellen Camire, a professor of food science and human nutrition at the University of Maine. Fiber is often prebiotic, meaning it's food for probiotic bacteria, Camire added. And probiotics help rebuild and balance your microbiome. 'When the bacteria get a nice fiber meal, they are very active, and they make compounds that help protect the colon' against colon cancer, along with other kinds of cancers, she explained. More, the cells that line the colon, which are called colonocytes, get their energy from the microbiome, added Quinton. 'And when the colonocytes are healthy, then they form an intact barrier along the colon, so that substances that may cause disease or cancer can't cross that barrier,' Quinton said. 'It also helps the colon produce mucus [and] thick mucus lining also protects the colon, so without enough fiber, our microbiome gets diseased and they don't produce the energy or nutrients that our colon needs to stay healthy,' he noted. Here's how you can eat more fiber: 'Fiber is a really critical part of our overall diet, and the typical American only gets 5 or 10% of the recommended amount of fiber in their diet on any given day,' said Quinton. As mentioned above, women need about 25 grams of fiber each day and men need about 38 grams, he said. Beans and legumes are very high in fiber and certain fruits and veggies are, too. Lentils have 18 grams of fiber per cup, black beans have about 15 grams in 1 can, chia seeds have 10 grams in 2 tablespoons, barley has 6 grams in 1 cup, raspberries have 8 grams in 1 cup and a pear has 6 grams, according to the Cleveland Clinic. This summer, you could make a bean and whole wheat pasta salad to up your fiber intake, or make some cold barley salads, said Camire. You can also lean into seasonal produce, she said. Camire added that it's important to spread your fiber intake out across the day and to consume different kinds of foods for fiber. 'The mistake a lot of people make when they decide 'I'm going to make fiber a priority' is they don't give their system time to adjust. If you're used to eating 15 grams of fiber a day, and you start eating 30 grams a day, the bacteria think they're having a party and so you may have some gas and cramping,' Camire said. You should start out gradually and slowly build up, she noted. 'Once you find the foods that you tolerate well and that you like, getting enough fiber won't be difficult or expensive,' Camire added. And fiber supplements don't cut it. It's tempting to turn to fiber supplements as a quick and easy way to reach your fiber goal, but experts say you shouldn't. 'None of the supplements ... are an adequate replacement for natural fiber,' Quinton said. Also, since you need so much fiber, fiber supplements end up being just a drop in the bucket, Camire added. While some of the supplements can increase your stool bulk and help constipation, 'they don't necessarily have the soluble fiber elements that feed the microbiome and keep it healthy, which keeps your gut healthy,' said Quinton. 'I don't think you can just replace the fiber with supplements. You need to be eating whole food,' Quinton added. Beyond fiber intake, there's more you can do to lower your colon cancer risk. It's important to also take other preventative steps to lower your risk of developing colon cancer. These include monitoring yourself for concerning symptoms such as ongoing stomach pain, blood in your stool or a change in your bowel movements. If you notice these symptoms, talk to your doctor. It's also important to let your doctor know if colon cancer runs in your family as you may be eligible for an early colonoscopy screening. Colonoscopy screenings start at 45 for those with no family history and without the symptoms mentioned above, but no matter when you're eligible, colonoscopies are the best way to screen for colon cancer and remove potentially precancerous polyps. 'During a colonoscopy, if we see a polyp, and we believe it to be the precancerous kind, which the vast majority are, we will remove those polyps at the colonoscopy,' Dr. Jeffrey Dueker, a gastroenterologist at UPMC and an associate professor of gastroenterology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, previously told HuffPost. 'And in doing so, we are reducing the colorectal cancer risk going forward,' Dueker added. With rising colon cancer rates in the U.S., it's important to do what you can to lessen your risk, which includes eating a high-fiber diet, going to necessary doctor's appointments and monitoring yourself for symptoms. HuffPost.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
A Health Crisis Cost You a Bundle. How to Claw It Back.
Americans undergoing a major medical event or relying on assisted care at home or in a facility should put the deduction on their radar, tax experts say. 'Make sure you've got proof of payment for any out-of-pocket cost, everything to support that deduction,' said Henry Grzes, lead manager for tax practice and ethics with the American Institute of CPAs. What Is the Medical Tax Deduction?
