Us west coasters find this fairly humorous.
This has been our life for the last few years.
At least now that it inconveniences the east coast powerbrokers, something might finally get done.
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I have had an air purifier for a long time so I can deal with various allergens. Air quality here in Eastern MA hasnāt been bad or I would be hugging that thing while wearing my KN95 mask.
For the majority of folks who donāt have an air purifier, an air conditioner on recirculate (preferably with a filter) and/or a fan can help a bit. The New York Times has this article explaining how your a/c or fan can help somewhat. Hopefully the share link will allow access.
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I have 5 HEPA room air cleaners running full blast in my condo right now. Didnāt figure theyād do double duty besides the Pandemic. This is the East Coast, after all. Itās scary to look out the window. Unlike anything I can remember seeing. This is probably the first of many incidents to come.
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Iām notā¦ holding my breath. Bah dum tss.
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I live in CA and just came back from the tri-state area, and the conditions there are nothing like it is in CA during wildfire season
Something about the density and skyscrapers that make the smoke not only more eery (like end of days eery) but more palpable.
Hard to describe.
Neither is good, but Iād take CA wildfire AQI over what I experienced in Carlstadt this past week.
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My valley burned to the ground so while Iām sympathetic Iām also realistic.
We never used to have conflagrations such as are now fairly common. Iām a cynic so I donāt see things getting better.
I have my go bag packed.
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Local news here (PDX) was comparing NYC smoke levels with PDX levels from a few years ago. PDX was much higher according to them. Their tone made me wonder if that meant we win because that is a competition I would rather lose. It is interesting how media treats it so differently, but it is the same with major weather events. I have always figured it has to do with the location of the major news media sources. I try not to take it too personally. My sympathies to all those effected. Please take the health warning seriously. A quote from the article below. āIām really feeling like a sage elder with my New York City friends today.ā We reserve the right to pettiness while sharing our sage advice.
New York Experiences Wildfire Smoke, Canāt Handle It | Portland Monthly (pdxmonthly.com)
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I guess there are a few factors at work here. First, the Northeast\Midatlantic isnāt used to conditions normally found on the left coast (earthquakes, mudslides, large forest fires, etc.) Second, the population density of Northeast\Midatlantic means any weather-related event impacts a larger portion of the American population. Third, you are correct, the media is largely centered in NYC and DC, so they are personally experiencing the conditions.
ETA: Iāve also been somewhat amazed by the dearth of info regarding Canada on our news . . . itās as if their fires and smoke only matter as they impact the US 
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I have a bunch of HEPA air filters. Glad I do. I noticed the students in my (university) neighborhood were all masked today. So were the guys who routinely populate 2 nearby major intersections for cash (this isnāt recent. Itās gone on for at least 30 years. Not the same guys). N95s kn95s.
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You took the words right out of my mouth. Seems like its their first time living in a smoker. My to go bag is always packed . Simple . Deed to the house , clothes. My homeowners insurance is expensive living in the forest. The price I pay for beauty.
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Just as New Englanders do when certain areas of the West Coast get dumped on with snow that they usually donāt get, but New Englanders see on the regular every winter.
Itās not a contest as to who does crappy weather conditions better.
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Exactly. Adapt and overcome whatever life throws at you.
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Touche!
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A few years ago we had heavy smoke and ash during a triple digit heat wave, with no A/C. Not too fun that! We needed a new furnace a couple years ago, so decided to go for A/C too., in light of climate change & increasing fire events. No regrets. But I worry about others that donāt have it.
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Last year when we were inudated with smoke from the west, I found the AQI was way off from what was actual and what was reported. When I spoke to the people at airnow.gov I was told that the measuring devices can be āin errorā and the monitor representing my zipcode/city can be in an area which is not being effected by the smoke. Where the meter showed āmoderateā we were mostly in the red zone in actuality. Please take care and get help if you need it!
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Last summer here in the PNW, the smoke from British Columbia and E WA was terrible. Iād wager it was at least as bad as shown in the latest photos of the US Northeast. It went on for weeks.
Yes, vulnerable people should remain indoors as much as possible.
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Those sunsets and sunrises being the same orange intensity in color are pretty, butā¦
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Yeah, after 4-5 days, the novelty was gone. It just got oppressive.
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Its use your best judgment when in the zone . Never rely on government Whats best.
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