Smoke Causes Cancellations Across New York Region
Heavy smoke conditions caused by hundreds of Canadian wildfires blanketed millions of people in the Northeastern U.S. on Wednesday. Poor air quality was the talk of social media and forced shutdowns and delays of everything from flights to events and school activities in the New York City region.
- The reduced visibility prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to temporarily ground flights at New York’s LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport, and caused delays at JFK Airport. The smoke plume is expected to spread further on Thursday.
- Major League Baseball postponed games in New York and Philadelphia, and a National Women’s Soccer League game in New Jersey and a WNBA game were canceled. Broadway’s hit show Hamilton canceled its evening performance because cast members called in sick, the New York Times reported.
- New York City’s Bronx Zoo and its library system closed earlier on Wednesday, as did city beaches for swimming and public school outdoor after-school activities. Performances of Shakespeare’s Hamlet were canceled for Thursday and Friday at the outdoor Delacorte Theater, citing air quality.
- The White House said the Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are working with state and local governments to communicate air quality conditions and other information. Residents can check local air quality at AirNow.gov or download the AirNow app.
What’s Next: The U.S. National Weather Service said it does not expect a “great deal of air quality improvement” Thursday, keeping alerts in place across the Northeast.
—Angela Palumbo and Janet H. Cho from Barrons