Latest news with #Midwestern
Epoch Times
9 hours ago
- Climate
- Epoch Times
Winds Drive Canadian Wildfire Smoke Into US, Triggering Air Quality Concerns Across Midwest
Smoke from dozens of wildfires burning in Canada drifted south into the United States on Friday, carried by powerful upper-level winds and prompting air quality warnings across several Midwestern states, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The influx of smoke created unhealthy conditions for people and animals sensitive to pollution in parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin, with the agency's AirNow interactive
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Green Bay's nearly 150-year-old infrastructure gets failing grade in water report
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – Green Bay's water utility earned strong marks on a new statewide report card, but one failing grade is raising concerns. The Wisconsin Waterworks Excellence Project, created by UW–Madison Professor Manny Teodoro, uses state data to grade all regulated drinking water systems in Wisconsin on a school-style scale. Thompson Center on Lourdes preparing for new space & name in honor of local philanthropist The goal: make complex water systems more understandable to the public and policymakers. 'These systems are buried, so they stay figuratively buried,' Teodoro said. 'The idea behind the report card is to make them familiar and easy to relate to.' Water Quality – Health: A Finance: B Communications: A+ Infrastructure and Operations: F Teodoro says Green Bay's aging infrastructure—some pipes date back to the 1880s—was the main driver of the failing grade. 'Green Bay loses a lot of water,' he said. 'Our Midwestern winters are very tough on water infrastructure… the systems are old in many parts of the city.' Still, Teodoro called Green Bay Water a 'well-led, professionally operated utility,' adding the city is already taking steps in the right direction. Utility General Manager Brian Powell agreed the infrastructure needs attention, but said the report card doesn't capture the full picture. 'We have a system that's over 140 years old… and part of our plan is to replace one percent of our infrastructure a year,' Powell said. 'The grading doesn't necessarily capture what we are doing.' He noted those upgrades were in motion before the report card came out. Neenah Foundry fire still under investigation for cause, additional details provided on response efforts 'The report card affirms we need to keep going down that path,' Powell said. 'We're proud of our water quality, finances, and communications.' The failing grade is tied to infrastructure, not the safety of drinking water, which scored an A. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Canadian wildfires force 17,000 to evacuate; smoke expected to hit the U.S. this weekend
Smoke from massive wildfires that are burning out of control across western and central Canada, forcing tens of thousands of residents to evacuate, is expected to move south toward the U.S. and reduce air quality across multiple northern states on Friday and Saturday. The fires have pushed the leaders of Canada's Manitoba and Saskatchewan provinces to declare states of emergency, while other provinces, including Alberta and Ontario, are facing an 'extreme' risk of wildfires on Friday — the highest level on Environment Canada's risk scale. "The conditions that our northern residents, communities and wildland firefighters are facing today are as severe or quite likely unlike anything we have faced in quite some time, if not ever," Scott Moe, the premier of Saskatchewan, said at a press conference Thursday. Here's what we know. On Thursday, the country raised its National Preparedness Level, which describes the wildfire activity and demand for firefighters and equipment, to a 5, which is unusually high for this time of year. In 2024, Canada did not reach that level until mid-July. Roughly 17,000 residents have been evacuated from the affected areas, including the entire town of Flin Flon, where about 5,000 people live. This is 'the largest evacuation Manitoba will have seen in most people's living memory,' Premier Wab Kinew told reporters on Wednesday. 'This is a moment of fear and uncertainty. This is a moment of concern.' As fires continue to grow throughout the country, residents in Saskatchewan have also been ordered to evacuate. As of Friday morning, a state of emergency is still in effect in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and more than 80 fires have been classified as 'out of control.' The wildfire smoke is expected to travel south on Friday, therefore impacting parts of the U.S. over the weekend. While the smoke is anticipated to blow southward across the central and eastern states by Sunday, an expected wind pattern change from the south on Monday into Tuesday might help improve air quality, according to the Weather Channel. Canadian wildfire smoke continues to deepen over the western Great Lakes States and North Dakota. — Jim Cantore (@JimCantore) May 30, 2025 Winds blowing from north to south are likely to push the wildfire smoke into Midwestern states throughout Friday. Air quality alerts are in effect for Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin, according to the National Weather Service. The Air Quality Index (AQI), a color-coded numerical scale that helps people understand the health risks and exposures to airborne pollutants at any given time, is predicted to reach a level 3 or 4 in these areas. It's therefore recommended that residents who have conditions like heart disease or asthma keep windows closed and avoid going outside. (You can find your local AQI forecast by entering your ZIP code here.) States that may experience smoky skies throughout Friday also include: Montana North Dakota South Dakota Nebraska Kansas Iowa Missouri Indiana Ohio The heaviest smoke concentrations are expected to be in: North Dakota South Dakota Minnesota Iowa Around the Great Lakes Moderate smoke could reach Chicago, St. Louis and Detroit by Friday evening. The highest concentrations of the wildfire smoke are expected to be around the Great Lakes. By Saturday, forecasters say that light to moderate smoke may even extend to parts of the East Coast, although it's uncertain whether it will be enough smoke to reduce air quality. Wildfire smoke is mostly made up of microscopic particulate matter with elements like acids, chemicals, metals, soil and dust from whatever the fire is burning, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. When inhaled, these elements can go deep inside a person's lungs and bloodstream, and research has proven that this inhalation from wildfire smoke is more dangerous to humans than pollution from other sources. Small particles of the smoke could stay in the air and continue moving throughout the area even weeks after the fires go out. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that wildfire smoke can affect people immediately, causing physical reactions like wheezing, asthma attacks and chest pain. Canada had its worst wildfire season on record in June 2023, when more than 45 million acres burned. The previous record was set in 1995, when 17.5 million acres burned. Tens of thousands of Canadians were displaced for months as historically poor air quality drifted south into the U.S. The smoke from the Canadian wildfires engulfed the East Coast in an unusual, orange, low-visibility haze. 9:45 AM at NWS Binghamton. Sun is no longer visible, everything's orange, the parking lot lights have come on, and we're stuck at 50°F. — NWS Binghamton (@NWSBinghamton) June 7, 2023 By the end of 2023, Canada had experienced more than 6,000 wildfires. In June alone, more land burned in southern Quebec than in the previous 20 years combined. 'There's no question, extreme weather, record high temperatures and dry conditions caused by climate change intensified this year's wildfire crisis,' Jonathan Boucher, a Canadian Forest Services scientist, told Natural Resources Canada in December 2024.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Canadian wildfires force 17,000 to evacuate; smoke expected to hit the U.S. this weekend
Smoke from massive wildfires that are burning out of control across western and central Canada, forcing tens of thousands of residents to evacuate, is expected to move south toward the U.S. and reduce air quality across multiple northern states on Friday and Saturday. The fires have pushed the leaders of Canada's Manitoba and Saskatchewan provinces to declare states of emergency, while other provinces, including Alberta and Ontario, are facing an 'extreme' risk of wildfires on Friday — the highest level on Environment Canada's risk scale. "The conditions that our northern residents, communities and wildland firefighters are facing today are as severe or quite likely unlike anything we have faced in quite some time, if not ever," Scott Moe, the premier of Saskatchewan, said at a press conference Thursday. Here's what we know. On Thursday, the country raised its National Preparedness Level, which describes the wildfire activity and demand for firefighters and equipment, to a 5, which is unusually high for this time of year. In 2024, Canada did not reach that level until mid-July. Roughly 17,000 residents have been evacuated from the affected areas, including the entire town of Flin Flon, where about 5,000 people live. This is 'the largest evacuation Manitoba will have seen in most people's living memory,' Premier Wab Kinew told reporters on Wednesday. 'This is a moment of fear and uncertainty. This is a moment of concern.' As fires continue to grow throughout the country, residents in Saskatchewan have also been ordered to evacuate. As of Friday morning, a state of emergency is still in effect in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and more than 80 fires have been classified as 'out of control.' The wildfire smoke is expected to travel south on Friday, therefore impacting parts of the U.S. over the weekend. While the smoke is anticipated to blow southward across the central and eastern states by Sunday, an expected wind pattern change from the south on Monday into Tuesday might help improve air quality, according to the Weather Channel. Canadian wildfire smoke continues to deepen over the western Great Lakes States and North Dakota. — Jim Cantore (@JimCantore) May 30, 2025 Winds blowing from north to south are likely to push the wildfire smoke into Midwestern states throughout Friday. Air quality alerts are in effect for Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin, according to the National Weather Service. The Air Quality Index (AQI), a color-coded numerical scale that helps people understand the health risks and exposures to airborne pollutants at any given time, is predicted to reach a level 3 or 4 in these areas. It's therefore recommended that residents who have conditions like heart disease or asthma keep windows closed and avoid going outside. (You can find your local AQI forecast by entering your ZIP code here.) States that may experience smoky skies throughout Friday also include: Montana North Dakota South Dakota Nebraska Kansas Iowa Missouri Indiana Ohio The heaviest smoke concentrations are expected to be in: North Dakota South Dakota Minnesota Iowa Around the Great Lakes Moderate smoke could reach Chicago, St. Louis and Detroit by Friday evening. The highest concentrations of the wildfire smoke are expected to be around the Great Lakes. By Saturday, forecasters say that light to moderate smoke may even extend to parts of the East Coast, although it's uncertain whether it will be enough smoke to reduce air quality. Wildfire smoke is mostly made up of microscopic particulate matter with elements like acids, chemicals, metals, soil and dust from whatever the fire is burning, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. When inhaled, these elements can go deep inside a person's lungs and bloodstream, and research has proven that this inhalation from wildfire smoke is more dangerous to humans than pollution from other sources. Small particles of the smoke could stay in the air and continue moving throughout the area even weeks after the fires go out. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that wildfire smoke can affect people immediately, causing physical reactions like wheezing, asthma attacks and chest pain. Canada had its worst wildfire season on record in June 2023, when more than 45 million acres burned. The previous record was set in 1995, when 17.5 million acres burned. Tens of thousands of Canadians were displaced for months as historically poor air quality drifted south into the U.S. The smoke from the Canadian wildfires engulfed the East Coast in an unusual, orange, low-visibility haze. 9:45 AM at NWS Binghamton. Sun is no longer visible, everything's orange, the parking lot lights have come on, and we're stuck at 50°F. — NWS Binghamton (@NWSBinghamton) June 7, 2023 By the end of 2023, Canada had experienced more than 6,000 wildfires. In June alone, more land burned in southern Quebec than in the previous 20 years combined. 'There's no question, extreme weather, record high temperatures and dry conditions caused by climate change intensified this year's wildfire crisis,' Jonathan Boucher, a Canadian Forest Services scientist, told Natural Resources Canada in December 2024.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Canadian wildfires force 17,000 to evacuate, smoke expected to hit the U.S. this weekend
Massive uncontained wildfires that are burning out of control across western and central Canada, forcing tens of thousands of residents to evacuate, are expected to move south toward the U.S. and reduce air quality across multiple central and eastern states on Friday and Saturday. The fires have pushed the leaders of Canada's Manitoba and Saskatchewan provinces to declare states of emergency, while other provinces, including Alberta and Ontario, are facing an 'extreme' risk of wildfires on Friday — the highest level on Environment Canada's risk scale. "The conditions that our northern residents, communities and wildland firefighters are facing today are as severe or quite likely unlike anything we have faced in quite some time, if not ever," Scott Moe, the premier of Saskatchewan, said at a press conference Thursday. Here's what we know. On Thursday, the country raised its National Preparedness Level, which describes the wildfire activity and demand for firefighters and equipment, to a 5, which is unusually high for this time of year. In 2024, Canada did not reach that level until mid-July. Roughly 17,000 residents have been evacuated from the affected areas, including the entire town of Flin Flon, where about 5,000 people live. This is 'the largest evacuation Manitoba will have seen in most people's living memory,' Premier Wab Kinew told reporters on Wednesday. 'This is a moment of fear and uncertainty. This is a moment of concern.' As fires continue to grow throughout the country, residents in Saskatchewan have also been ordered to evacuate. As of Friday morning, a state of emergency is still in effect in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and more than 80 fires have been classified as 'out of control.' The wildfire smoke is expected to travel south on Friday, therefore impacting parts of the U.S. over the weekend. While the smoke is anticipated to blow southward across the central and eastern U.S. states by Sunday, an expected pattern wind change from the west on Monday into Tuesday might help improve the air quality, according to the Weather Channel. Winds blowing from north to south are likely to push the wildfire smoke into Midwestern states throughout Friday. Air quality alerts are in effect for Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin, according to the National Weather Service. The Air Quality Index (AQI), a color-coded numerical scale that helps people understand the health risks and exposures to airborne pollutants at any given time, is predicted to reach a level 3 or 4 in these areas. It's therefore recommended that residents who have conditions like heart disease or asthma keep windows closed and avoid going outside. (You can find your local AQI forecast by entering your zip code here.) States that may experience smoky skies throughout Friday also include: Montana North Dakota South Dakota Nebraska Kansas Iowa Missouri Indiana Ohio The heaviest smoke concentrations are expected to be in: North Dakota South Dakota Minnesota Iowa Around the Great Lakes Moderate smoke could reach Chicago, St. Louis and Detroit by Friday evening. The highest concentrations of the wildfire smoke are expected to be around the Great Lakes. By Saturday, forecasters say that light to moderate smoke may even extend to parts of the East Coast, although it's uncertain whether it will be enough smoke to reduce air quality. Wildfire smoke is mostly made up of microscopic particulate matter with elements like acids, chemicals, metals, soil and dust from whatever the fire is burning, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. When inhaled, these elements can go deep inside a person's lungs and bloodstream, and research has proven that this inhalation from wildfires is more dangerous to humans than pollution from other sources. Small particles of the wildfire smoke could stay in the air and continue moving throughout the area even weeks after the fires go out. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that wildfire smoke can affect people immediately, causing physical reactions like wheezing, asthma attacks and chest pain. Canada had its worst wildfire season on record in June 2023, when more than 45 million acres burned. The previous record was set in 1995 when 17.5 million acres burned. Tens of thousands of Canadians were displaced for months as historically poor air quality drifted south into the U.S. The smoke from the Canadian wildfires engulfed the East Coast in an unusual, orange, low-visibility haze. By the end of 2023, Canada had experienced more than 6,000 wildfires. In June alone, more land burned in southern Quebec than in the previous 20 years combined. 'There's no question, extreme weather, record high temperatures and dry conditions caused by climate change intensified this year's wildfire crisis,' Jonathan Boucher, a Canadian Forest Services scientist, told Natural Resources Canada in December 2024.
