Smoke And Poor Air Quality Return To The Greater Sacramento Area Following Wildfires
DAVIS (CBS13) – The winds of change have brought back an unwelcomed friend: poor air quality.
"The air quality or lack thereof," Jesse Baldwin from Davis said.
"I could just tell the smoke was back in," Lindsay Tatum from Davis said.
Making some people like Baldwin are looking for a place to take a deep breath. He was able to do that Wednesday thanks to this Weather Relief Center at the Davis Senior Center which will also be open on Thursday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
"I'm so grateful as a homeless person in Davis to have this sort of resource that's available to me; whereas someone who is at high risk being a chronic asthmatic," Baldwin said.
But there are those who have to be outside during these smoky days; working and looking at the glass half full.
"It is what it is, you know. You can't control it," Michael Richards, a construction supervisor, said. "I thought we were out of it."
READ: Flex Alert Issued For Thursday, Californians Asked To Conserve Energy
There were many places in the greater Sacramento area with AQI levels in the orange and red levels. Davis, Elk Grove and Sacramento had unhealthy air quality levels. And falling back into the fog of bad air, so said Doctor Peter Murphy, might be something we might have to get used to. The health implications could be huge according to the good doctor.
"If this is going to be the new normal and if every summer we are going to have these types of exposures, this is going to have a significant long-term impact on the lung and heart disease and on mortality," Murphy said.
It also can play a factor into the flu season that's right around the corner.
"People will have a significantly higher incidents of influenza in the months – three to nine months – after smoke exposure," Murphy said.
Exposure raising a red flag for many as they wait for clear blue skies to return.
"I worry about it for my kids. I worry about it for the future of the valley's generation," Tatum said.
Murphy also recommended that people should be getting their flu shots now due to the damages and issues our latest smoke exposure is bringing.
