Yonkers police hand out N-95 masks to protect residents from expected poor air quality
Commissioner Basil Seggos, from the state's Department of Environmental Conservation, says they expect the highest smoke concentrations to be in the western and central regions, as well as the Adirondacks and the eastern Lake Ontario region.
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Hudson Valley communities are bracing for air quality issues over the next few days due to the Canadian wildfires.
Police handed out N-95 masks at the First Precinct in Yonkers to keep people safe. It's one of many locations throughout the state where you can get a mask at no cost to help you be prepared as the smoke continues to roll through the region.
Commissioner Basil Seggos, from the state's Department of Environmental Conservation, says they expect the highest smoke concentrations to be in the western and central regions, as well as the Adirondacks and the eastern Lake Ontario region.
However, those in the Hudson Valley could be impacted, too.
Seggos says the air quality indicators in the rest of the state could reach between the 101 and 150 range, which is unhealthy for vulnerable populations.
Dr. Dipak Chandy, of Westchester Medical Center, has advice on how to protect yourself.
“The best way would be avoidance…or to minimize exposure as much as possible. So, that could be as simple as if you're in a car, and you're running the air conditioning, you may want to run it in recirculate mode and not let the fresh air come in from the outside,” he says.
The doctor says cloth and surgical masks are not as effective as N-95 mask. He also encourages residents to take a look at what the air quality numbers are before stepping outside.
