Chattanooga faces Code Red air quality alert

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — Chattanooga is currently under a Code Red air quality alert due to wildfire smoke from Canada.

Downtown Chattanooga (6/29/23)

The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Air Pollution Control Bureau released the alert on Thursday. This is the first time Chattanooga has been in a red quality alert since the Gatlinburg fires of 2016.

Air quality in Chattanooga is at 151, according to the Bureau. This is in the unhealthy range, not just for sensitive groups.

Based on a graphic from the AirNow website, healthy air quality ranges from 0 to 50.

(AirNow)

The Code Red puts children, teenagers, the elderly, and people with heart and lung disease at risk.

This poor air quality can cause coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and reduced lung function. It can also trigger or aggravate asthma.

The Bureau gives tips on how to stay healthy during this time.

Tips for people at risk:

• Avoid strenuous outdoor activities.
• Keep outdoor activities short.
• Consider moving physical activities indoors or rescheduling them.

Tips for the general population:

• Choose less strenuous activities (like walking instead of running) so you don’t breathe as hard.
• Shorten the amount of time you are active outdoors.
• Be active outdoors when air quality is better.

(Chattanooga-Hamilton County
Air Pollution Control Bureau)