Air Quality Alerts: Thousands Advised to Stay Inside in Florida, Georgia, and Oregon

Residents in parts of Florida, Georgia, and Oregon are dealing with potentially unhealthy air pollution early Friday, according to AirNow’s live map.

The map highlights a pocket of fine particle (PM2.5) pollution in the “very unhealthy” Air Quality Index (AQI) range across northern Florida, affecting towns such as Sanderson and Lake Butler. The alert also extends into a small area of southeastern Georgia.

In Oregon, a pocket of “unhealthy” air sits south of Bend and northeast of Medford, affecting the town of La Pine.

When air quality reaches the “very unhealthy” range, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urges the general population to avoid long or intense outdoor activities and consider rescheduling or moving them indoors.

Sensitive groups—including children, older adults, and people with certain medical conditions such as heart or lung disease—should avoid all outdoor physical activity.

For the “unhealthy” category, officials recommend that sensitive groups steer clear of long or intense outdoor activities. Everyone else should cut back on extended or strenuous outdoor activities and take extra breaks when outside.

The Air Quality Index measures air pollution on a scale from 0 to 301 and above:

0—50 (Green): Good — air quality is satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk.
51—100 (Yellow): Moderate — air quality is acceptable. However, there may be a risk for some people, particularly those who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.
101—150 (Orange): Unhealthy for sensitive groups — members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is less likely to be affected.
151—200 (Red): Unhealthy — some members of the general public may experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.
201—300 (Purple): Very unhealthy — health alert. The risk of health effects is increased for everyone.
301 and higher (Maroon): Hazardous — health warning of emergency conditions. Everyone is more likely to be affected.

Air quality data resource AirNow is a partnership between the EPA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and several other agencies.

In Oregon, an air stagnation advisory has been issued for the northeast and southeast regions of the state, with the National Weather Service (NWS) warning that the resulting poor air quality could pose risks for people with respiratory issues.

“An extended period of stagnant air with light winds and little vertical mixing is expected. This is due to a near-surface inversion that will continue to trap pollutants,” the alert said.

The warning will be in force until 4 a.m. PST on Monday.