'Perfect storm' giving Milwaukee some of the worst air quality in the world
Milwaukee is experiencing a "perfect storm" of atmospheric events that took it into uncharted territory this week with its worsening air quality.
"It's been a very unprecedented spring for us and we have also had 12 ozone advisories this spring as well — It's been a very hot, dry, sunny spring," said Craig Czarnecki from the Department of Natural Resources.
The DNR has issued nine air quality alerts because of the Canadian fires in 2023. Prior to this year, the last alert issued because of this type of pollutant was in 2011.
"So it's been a little over a decade since we had one and we've had nine this year," said Czarnecki.
Milwaukee is still in the "very unhealthy" category with an Air Quality Index of 239 (purple zone) as of Wednesday Morning as smoke from Canadian wildfires blanketed the state.
By 6 a.m. Wednesday, central Wisconsin had some of the worst air in the nation with readings as high as 317 in Baraboo, considered hazardous for everyone and the worst category in the ranking.
The Air Quality Index is broken into six colored categories on a 0-500 scale and when it gets above 100 air quality becomes unhealthy for certain groups. An AQI level between 201-300, which Milwaukee was in much of Tuesday and still is on Wednesday, is in the "very unhealthy" category. That means the risk of health effects increases for everyone.
Why was the air quality in Wisconsin so bad this week?
While air quality advisories have been common in Wisconsin this spring and summer, the circumstances surrounding this one are much more rare and severe.
Ordinarily, air pollution is caused by either ozone pollution — common in car exhaust — or particulate matter solution — common during fires. What makes this event so dangerous is that both of those pollutants are present in abundance.
Jon Kahl, a professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, said what we're seeing - and smelling - is a perfect storm of polluted air.
“I would say this is a very rare situation just because of all the elements that needed to fall in place for air to get this bad,” said Kahl. “We have wildfire smoke that is being blown by winds, we have high-pressure conditions which are conducive to the accumulation of pollutants in the atmosphere, we have wind directions that are in the right direction transporting smoke towards our area.”
Milwaukee EMS calls for respiratory issues have doubled in last 72 hours
It was difficult on Tuesday to gauge how the air was affecting people, but it was having some impact.
Milwaukee County Emergency Services has received double the typical amount of calls for respiratory issues over the last 72 hours, according to Dan Pojar, the director of EMS for the county.
Pojar attributed the increase to the air quality in the region.
Nathan Lebak, an allergist and immunologist with Aurora Health Care, recommended that people stay inside for the next 48 hours, close the windows, and use air conditioning until the wind shifts and smoke moves away from the region.
While Lebak said his clinic had received an uptick of calls from asthmatic patients as smoke descended on the region, it is not clear if area hospitals are being similarly affected.
Aurora St. Luke’s Hospital has not seen an uptick in patients, calls, or ER visits Tuesday due to the wildfire smoke, according to Matt Queen, the communications coordinator.
EMS calls spiking without a similar spike in hospital admissions did not surprise Ben Weston, the chief health policy advisor for Milwaukee County and an associate professor of emergency medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Weston said patients dealing with respiratory issues are likely able to receive adequate care before reaching the hospital. Asthmatic patients, for example, could be treated with nebulizers by EMS and would not need to go to the hospital.
"The amount of exacerbation we're seeing from the air quality right now is something that can be turned around in a lot of cases," he said.
The City of Milwaukee Health Department issued an advisory Tuesday morning, encouraging area residents to stay inside and wear an N-95 mask if they have to venture outdoors.
Worst air quality rankings in U.S.
On Tuesday, Milwaukee's air quality was among the worst in the country and the world as defined by IQAir.com.
Here are IQAir.com's rankings for worst air quality levels for U.S. cities as of 2:20 p.m. Tuesday.
- Brookfield, Wisconsin: 329
- Wilmette, Illinois: 292
- Inverness, Illinois: 273
- Hudsonville, Michigan: 263
- Port Huron, Michigan: 258
- Grand Rapids, Michigan: 251
- Des Plaines, Illinois: 250
- South Bend, Indiana: 244
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin: 234
- New Berlin, Wisconsin: 233
The city of Waukesha's AQI on Tuesday night surpassed all of those marks when it nearly hit 400, registering at 393, according to the state's Department of Natural Resources.
Do I need to start taking precautions as air becomes very unhealthy to breathe?
The Wisconsin DNR said that the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from wildfire smoke is to stay indoors. Since air has become "very unhealthy" to breathe all members of the public should be taking precautions and not just sensitive groups. The DNR recommends the following:
- Close windows and doors.
- Run A/C on recirculate.
- Use an indoor air purifier.
If you do plan to be outside during the current air quality advisory the agency has recommended the following:
- Check air quality conditions before leaving the house and throughout the day.
- Avoid or limit exercising outdoors.
- Consider wearing an N-95 mask, especially if outdoors for an extended period.
Are lasting effects likely from today's polluted air?
Mark Werner, Director of the Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, said that effects from the pm 2.5 particulate matter that is circulating is likely to be immediate, but can linger for days.
When will air quality start to improve?
The current advisory will remain in place through noon on Thursday. According to the DNR, the most significant air quality and health impacts are anticipated between noon on Tuesday and noon on Wednesday.
While air is expected to improve after the advisory ends on Thursday, there is still a good chance that wildfire smoke will return in the near future as dozens of Canadian fires continue to burn.
The DNR does predict that air quality conditions should improve for the long July 4 weekend.
Nathaniel Rosenberg and Ridah Syed of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report
How to stay safe:Air quality is bad in Wisconsin, here are ways to protect yourself and loved ones
Air Quality Map:Track current smoke conditions in Milwaukee
