MILWAUKEE COUNTY, Wis. — Milwaukee County is seeing a spike in 911 calls for respiratory issues amid worsening air quality due to the Canadian wildfire smoke.
According to Milwaukee County's Chief Health Policy Advisor Ben Weston, data from two days ago revealed the spike.
"Data takes a day or two to come in," he shared on Twitter on Tuesday.
He said you can expect those high numbers to continue.
With the worsening air quality that we are seeing in #Milwaukee County, so too are we seeing increase folks calling 9-1-1 for respiratory issues.
— Ben Weston MD MPH 😷 💉 (@BenWWeston) June 27, 2023
This spike was from 2 days ago. Data takes a day or two to come in and expect high numbers to continue when finalized.
Be cautious. pic.twitter.com/mixHebk09w
Milwaukee County's Air Quality Index is continuing to rise. Dr. Weston says the air is bad enough to make you sick and urges the public to avoid outdoor air.
Late Tuesday afternoon, the Wisconsin DNR reported that the eastern half of the state is under threat due to the "unhealthy" to "very unhealthy" air quality. Meanwhile, in Waukesha, the Air Quality Index rose to 323, officially becoming "hazardous." It is the highest category in the index.
Breaking News: Waukesha Air Quality now considered "Hazardous" at 323. I never thought we'd see air quality this poor in SE Wisconsin. This is crazy stuff. #wiwx #weather #WildfireSmoke #Canadianwildfires pic.twitter.com/sZXV1LGm6A
— Brian Niznansky (@BrianNizTMJ4) June 27, 2023
The DNR said in a statement that under these conditions, people with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion and also consider avoiding all physical outdoor activities. "Everyone else should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion and consider avoiding prolonged or heavy exertion," the agency said.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
