Air Quality Events
Bad air quality can be really dangerous, especially for kids and the elderly. Learn more about what to do and how to stay safe.
Your Impact
Action Steps & Tips
Introduction
This action is designed to be used with the Get Prepared Steps, be sure to complete Steps 1-5!
1Step 1: Learn about air quality events
What causes an air quality event and when are they likely to happen?
Wildfires/Fires: Even if your home is not at risk for wildfires, wind can still carry smoke from near and far into your community. Wildfire smoke has fine particles and gasses that can quickly lower air quality and create a significant hazard to your health. This is also the case for local building fires or any fires that burn wood or organic materials. Be sure to read the wildfires action if you are in an area at risk of wildfire. Wildfires often happen in the late summer and fall.
Burning fossil fuels: When fossil fuels like gasoline, coal or natural gas are burned, they release dangerous gasses, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and particulate matter, which are small harmful particles in the air. All of these create a health hazard. When these mix with sunlight on hot sunny days, it creates ozone, the main ingredient in smog.
You are more likely to experience an air quality event from burning fossil fuels if you live in an urban area, particularly near major freeways, in an industrial area or near a power plant. However, wind can even send air pollution out to rural areas. If you live within 500 feet of a freeway or high traffic road you may be exposed to much higher levels of particulate matter.
Note: The sources of burning fossil fuels include driving cars and trucks, heating buildings, creating electricity and manufacturing. Fossil fuels are also the primary cause of climate change. Luckily we have other clean and safe fuel options — check out the Clean Energy Home and Shift Your ride actions categories to learn more!
Chemical releases: Some industrial processes can release large amounts of hazardous chemicals into the air, like oil refineries or chemical manufacturing plants. If there is a malfunction or other issue at an industrial facility, this may result in dangerous exposure to chemicals. Chemical releases can happen at any time.
Dust: A number of events can cause air pollution from particulate matter including construction, unpaved roads or dust storms.
Volcanoes: Though they’re rare, volcanic eruptions can also cause far-reaching air quality events.
Health impacts:
Air quality events can cause significant health issues, particularly for children, the elderly and people with pre-existing health issues such as asthma, lung disease or heart disease. Particulate matter can get deep in your lungs or even into your bloodstream and gasses like nitrogen oxide, sulfur oxide and ozone can make it difficult to breathe, increase susceptibility to lung infection, and make asthma or other lung diseases worse. Carbon monoxide reduces the amount of oxygen that can be transported in your bloodstream, which can be especially hazardous to people with some types of heart disease.
Air Quality & Equity:
Often the neighborhoods with the highest levels of air pollution are low income neighborhoods. That’s because most polluting factories and power plants are located in low income neighborhoods. Neighborhoods close to major freeways are also often low income neighborhoods. It’s important to think about all of our neighbors when we think about the importance of clean air. It should be clean for all, not just some. Switching away from using fossil fuels will have a big impact on helping to improve air quality for all neighborhoods!
Measuring air quality: An air quality index (AQI) measures how clean or polluted the air is. In the U.S., the index goes from 0 to 500. The higher the number, the greater the pollution and the health concern. You can usually find your area’s current and forecasted air quality on your smartphone's weather app, or you can look it up on AirNow.gov.
2Step 2: Add these items to your plan
Add these items to your plan in Step 3. Make a plan and print out the one page information sheet to add to your kit.
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Know your evacuation route, particularly if you are in a wildfire zone
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Decide on a room in your home that can be closed off from outside air.
3Step 3: Add these items to your household preparation
Add these items to your household preparation in Step 4. Resilience for Homeowners/Renters
Seal air leaks: If you live in an area prone to air quality issues, there is one major step to make your home more prepared! Consider weatherizing your home by sealing air leaks around doors and windows. This will reduce the amount of air entering during an air quality event. It will also save you energy and money when you’re heating or cooling your home!
4Step 4: Learn what to do during an air quality event
Even if your home is safe from wildfire, there may be wildfire smoke or other events that cause hazardous air quality. In an air quality event, you may need to shelter at home. Listen to safety alert channels and follow all instructions from local authorities! Some common instructions you may hear:
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Stay inside. In some cases you need to stay inside until told it is safe to leave (ex: chemical release), in other cases you need to stay in as much as possible (ex: wildfire smoke).
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Keep indoor air clean by closing all doors and windows, turn off fans and air conditioning systems (or set to recirculate), and cover doors, windows, and vents with towels or sheets to block outside air.
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If advised to do so by local alerts, move to the room you designated as your safe/clean air room.
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If you have an air purifier, turn it on and keep it running. If the Air Quality Index or AQI is 100-200, it is hazardous for sensitive groups and over 200, it is hazardous for everyone. Find your current AQI on your weather app or at AirNow. If it is over 200 (or over 100 if you are in a sensitive group), it is recommended to use an air purifier.
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If it is ok to leave your home, limit your trips outside as much as possible - use your emergency kit for supplies. If you do need to go outside, use an N95 respirator mask (if advised). Also limit your physical activity outdoors. Keep children, the elderly or anyone with lung or heart conditions indoors unless absolutely necessary.
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Limit using anything that adds to indoor air pollution such as candles, fireplaces and gas stoves.
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Keep pets inside as much as possible.
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In the event of a chemical release, you should receive an alert on local safety alert channels with instructions on what to do. However, if you live near an industrial area or power plant and smell something or start feeling sick, close your doors and windows and call authorities or 911 immediately.
5Step 5: Learn what to do right after an air quality event
If you’ve had to evacuate, it may be just a few hours or many days before you can return home. When you do, remember it’s normal to feel anxiety or grief, so take care of yourself and your loved ones. The most important thing is that you and your loved ones are safe.
Basic Necessities:
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Shelter: If your home isn’t safe or habitable and you can’t stay with neighbors or friends, find a local shelter near you. You can:
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text SHELTER and your zip code to 4FEMA (43362), e.g. SHELTER 01234.
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Search on the FEMA app or Red Cross app for open shelters.
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In the FEMA app, click “Disaster Resources” → “Shelters” → “Map View”
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In the Red Cross app, click the Maps icon on the bottom right.
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Food & Water: If you do not have access to food and water, or if you’re not certain your supplies are safe to consume, get additional supplies when it is safe to do so or find a local food bank by contacting a shelter or through feedingamerica.or
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First aid: If anyone is seriously or injured, call 911 or go to the hospital. If you are not sure, err on the side of caution and get medical help. If the injury is minor, administer first aid if you are trained and contact your healthcare provider for instructions.
Once you know everyone is safe:
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Contact family and friends, including your out-of-area emergency contact. For non-emergencies, use text or social media to reduce the strain on phone systems. Check in on your neighbors — this is a time we need to lean on each other.
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If you were sheltering at home, wait for authorities to confirm it’s safe to go outside. If you had to evacuate, wait for authorities to confirm that it’s safe to return to your area. When you get home, enter carefully and be mindful of hazards.
Read Step 5. Recovery After a Disaster for important information on safe cleanup, support resources and handling insurance after an air quality event. Be sure to take photos for insurance before you clean!