In a city where emergencies rarely affect the steady flow of commerce, what local officials called an “unprecedented event” brought the metropolis to a near standstill.
Heavy smoke from hundreds of Canadian wildfires headed south, enveloping much of the state and neighboring territories, as far as Mexico, in an apocalyptic orange haze.
“This is not a day to train for a marathon or do an outdoor event for your kids,” Mayor Eric Adams told a press conference on Wednesday, urging people to stay indoors or wear N95 masks.
The smoke briefly halted incoming flights to LaGuardia Airport as visibility decreased and some ports in the area were closed. Outdoor activities at city schools were canceled and children from some schools in the area were sent home wearing masks. New York’s grand scene takes a hit with an outdoor food tasting event featuring 40 restaurants hosted by the Central Park Conservancy.
Baseball fans were also disappointed by the New York Yankees postponing their game against the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night after strange smog hung over the Bronx, while the Philadelphia Phillies forfeited their game against Detroit.
Such apocalyptic scenes have become more frequent in North America in recent years as climate change has contributed to more frequent and more extreme blazes.
On the West Coast, historic wildfires shrouded much of Northern California in smoke in recent years and turned San Francisco skies orange in 2020. The first wildfire in Alberta resulted in plumes of smoke that reached New York, but produced only dazzling sunsets.
But this year’s flames, which have occurred in Alberta and Quebec, are surprising and shocking New Yorkers who have enjoyed improved air quality over the past decade.
The smoke is filling the air with dangerous levels of fine particulate matter and causing the worst air conditions in New York state in more than 20 years, according to state officials. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country was going through the “worst wildfire season” in recorded history.
In his press conference, Adams described the air quality as the worst in decades, saying conditions are expected to improve temporarily tonight and tomorrow morning, before they worsen again.
By one measure, air quality in New York is currently the worst of any major city in the world, according to IQAir, a pollution mapping tool. Adams urged New Yorkers to stay inside, keep their windows closed, and turn down their air conditioner settings that circulate air outside.
through Lower Manhattan @earthcam As we arrive at 2:00 p.m. speechless. pic.twitter.com/EyoRBfHcsZ
– New York Metro Weather (@nymetrowx) June 7, 2023
Airborne particles and toxins can cause complications for patients with lung diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as well as heart disease, and can be more severe for young children and older people.
The health department also warned that air quality issues affect animals differently and ordered the suspension of work for the city’s carriage horses and advised owners to minimize time with their pets. Gave.
New Yorkers covered social media Wednesday afternoon with pictures of the city as some may remember seeing it firsthand — its historic buildings and bridges increasingly invisible under a curtain of thick smog. Shortly after noon, the Statue of Liberty, usually visible on a clear summer day in June, looked like a dark spot on the horizon when viewed from the Hudson River shoreline in lower Manhattan.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the state Department of Environmental Protection had issued a health advisory for every region in the entire state except the Adirondacks, warning that air quality will reach “unhealthy” levels that could persist throughout Thursday. Is.
Governor Cathy Hochul urged school districts across the state to cancel any outdoor events or sports practices if they haven’t already.
“People need to prepare for this as the long haul,” Hochul said. He tweeted that the state would provide 10 lakh N95 masks.
View of Yankee Stadium amid smoke from Canada wildfires pic.twitter.com/EvbWIQeiz7
– Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 7, 2023
Adams said, “Yesterday New Yorkers saw and smelled something that has never before affected us on such a scale.” “As I was walking the streets clearly we knew that something was happening that was beyond normal.”