Something About Smoke I Guess?
Hi Bestie!!
That smoke week was something, wasn’t it? The air quality in New York City today is Good, for the first time since…last Tuesday, I guess. I mentioned to someone at work all that I had read (admittedly not a lot) and said I would collate it into one document, and unlucky for you, it’s a newsletter, too.
None of it is about fire suppression, but you can read about that here, if you’d like. (Fires is a great newsletter.)
The Canadian (and New Jersey!) wildfires resulted in orange skies and poor air quality. Here’s what was recommended:
Closing doors and windows.
Staying inside.
Wearing masks outdoors (and sometimes, indoors).
Running central air, if available.
Using an air filter, if available.
Limiting activities that would negatively impact air quality, like cleaning, cooking, and burning candles.
The primary goal is to keep particulate matter, microscopic solids or liquids, out of the lungs. Particulate matter was the primary pollutant and exacerbates chronic conditions, like asthma and heart disease. (“Some 70% of the asthma-related visits during the period were in ZIP codes with predominantly Black or Hispanic residents. And 60% were in ZIP codes with higher poverty rates than the city overall.” (Source)) There’s a color-coded system. If it’s red, it’s masking for everyone. (And staying home, for everyone, if that’s possible.
I feel like I inhaled enough of it to get sick. (I also did everything wrong, cleaning Wednesday evening when work closed early, burning a candle to assuage mild anxiety, and cooking. It could have been worse, I could have been undergound.) I live in an old building; the windows don’t seal at the top and we don’t have central air. Because there’s a small gap between the window and the hose, I didn’t install my window unit. (I did last Sunday, and I’m not sure what I’ll do if the air gets smoky again.) I pulled the curtains and hoped for the best.
(I have a door sweep on my bedroom door and a draft stopper, which I hope helped, but I can’t prove that. I applied the leftover strip to our front door, which I am hoping no one ever says anything about because it’s definitely frowned upon in our lease.)
My sister sent me an air filter (I think it’s this one). I’ve set a calendar reminder to clean the filter in two weeks. Filters should be replaced every six months (but always check with your manufacturer). In the case of an event like this, the filter should be replaced after the air has cleared. She also recommended applying Vaseline or Aquaphor to moisturize the skin, as rashes are common.
If you have central air you should replace the filters in your home after a wildfire event like this one.
I think we should prepare for the next smoke event. The smoke hasn’t definitively cleared, yet. The fire is still burning!
To that end, the shopping list is:
An air filter
(And a replacement filter)
Masks (KN95/N95)
Vaseline/Aquaphor
Coca-Cola, because I was out and it was the one thing that I knew would bring me some small measure of peace. (I don’t know what your equivalent is.)
Snacks
It’s the least fun snow day. My snow day list always includes booze.
I also found that a combination of feeling like shit and other personal factors (fighting over text messages) laid me out completely. There was no writing. No crafting. No sewing! Just listlessly watching The Good Place. (I’ve since started A League of Their Own. I am always here to make recommendations in an emergency.)
It’s also hurricane season, and I know you don’t want to hear this, but are you ready? Hurricane season in NYC is June 1 to October 31. I haven’t actually assessed my Hurricane Kit, though I usually do the first week of June. I lived here for Hurricanes Sandy and Irene, so I am a little uptight about it.
First, you need to Know Your Zone. I think all of us are zone-less, but it’s always good to know.
The City also wants you to make a plan and stay informed. A plan includes a disaster route and an exit plan, and honestly, I don’t have one! I don’t have a car. I don’t have anywhere to go, locally. I’d be one of those saps in an emergency shelter if my building took on water. While I’m sure there’s a reasonable way for that to happen, if my building is flooded in a hurricane we’re all dead. I’m near the top of a hill in a zoneless neighborhood. And, you should have a Go Bag. I know this sounds crazy. I used to have a purple tote bag with snacks and bottled water. I don’t anymore, but I know I can fill my everyday backpack if I need to.
In general, you should stay on top of your meds, too. I know that’s easier said than done. I’m not low on prescription toothpaste and yet I am not ordering it in advance, am I? That blind panic in March 2020 taught me to always have enough snacks and sanitary pads, though.
It’s a lot like building a flu kit (which I’ve also done; one year I stashed cash in there in case I missed work, so I could still pay my rent). The benefit is if you don’t need it, you have cold medicine for a summer cold (or a wildfire cold); the extra cash bought contact lenses.
This time of year I try to have coconut water or Gatorade* at home anyway. If I don’t need it after a tough workday, I need it because I got too much sun looking for glass or getting carried away by the tide (metaphorically).
I am sounding fully unhinged. I hope a fun newsletter is coming our way soon. Don’t forget to reapply sunscreen, it’s a goddamn beautiful day.
Sources (just links because it’s the day after Mermaid Parade and I am barely hanging on*):
- https://fires.substack.com/p/how-fire-suppression-contributed
- https://gothamist.com/news/asthma-er-visits-during-nyc-smoke-haze-were-highest-in-high-poverty-black-and-latino-areas
- https://gothamist.com/news/think-nyc-air-quality-is-bad-on-the-street-try-the-subway-station
https://gothamist.com/news/how-to-protect-your-lungs-as-nycs-air-quality-suffers-from-wildfires
- https://a858-nycnotify.nyc.gov/notifynyc/
- https://www.nyc.gov/site/em/ready/coastal-storms-hurricanes.page
- https://www.nyc.gov/site/em/ready/get-prepared.page
*Shout out to this cucumber lime Gatorade. I'm definitely going to cry over nothing before 7 p.m. I don't make the rules! I just follow them!!