Air Quality Alerts Across Delmarva

Image Courtesy of Maryland Department of Environment

(DELMARVA) – The State of Maryland called for a Code Purple alert Friday morning, with every county in the state being listed under an air quality alert.

Just North in Delaware, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has listed the state in a code red air quality alert since Wednesday.

We met with a Delaware Climatologist about the impact this kind of air quality can have on even the healthiest of people.

“Obviously with the wildfire smoke, that adds another dimension in terms of, poor air quality today. Today is probably, you know, one of the worst we’ve had like this in maybe three years. I think 2023 was the last really bad wildfire smoke situation that we had,” says Kevin Brinson, a Climatologist and Environmental Researcher with the University of Delaware.

WMDT tried to speak to members of the public about how they are feeling in this poor air-quality but everyone we spoke to was trying to get out of the hazy conditions because they feeling the effects of the smoke..

From the constant smell on Thursday, to feeling like their lungs are burning.

Brinson tells us, “It can inflame your lungs. Make it a little more difficult to breathe. It’s just generally unhealthy air, and it’s not, you know, probably better to stay inside unless you absolutely have to be outside today.”