EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — People in the Borderland region woke up Wednesday morning to hazy skies and the smell of smoke. The air conditions confirmed by the National Weather Service to be a byproduct of the wildfires that have spread across the Texas panhandle.
Luke Rogers, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in El Paso said the storm system that triggered a wind advisory on Tuesday also produced a cold front across the plains states, pushing the smoke across west Texas.
“Once the cold front came down from the north, it switched the direction of the wind. You saw the fires start to move more south and ultimately the winds from that cold front wafted up that smoke and is bringing that smoke with the cold front as it advanced across west Texas, eastern New Mexico, and now here across the borderland region,” said Rogers.
The smoke that engulfed El Paso also limited visibility. The El Paso International Airport reported visibility dropped down to four miles in some parts of town.
Rogers warned drivers to be careful on the roadways and utilize their headlights. He also advised for the community to look out for vulnerable groups like “infants, people with illnesses, older populations that could feel the effects from the smoke.”
Doctor Arturo Hernandez who practices family medicine said that in 2018, El Paso was declared as the 13th most challenging city in the whole United States to live in for people with allergies.
Due to the dry climate and dust, poor air quality levels make it difficult for sensitive groups. With the heavy presence of smoke, Dr. Hernandez said the conditions could trigger flare ups for people with allergies or asthma. He said avoiding something like air, however, is nearly impossible.
“To be honest, it’s very hard. The best answer would be to try to stay home. Sometimes it’s impossible to stay home so what we recommend is to try to avoid the triggers, the allergens and use a mask in some cases, “said Dr. Hernandez.
If you do not suffer from severe asthma and are not prescribed treatments, Dr. Hernandez recommended using antihistamines to help alleviate allergy symptoms.
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