Notes from the board of commissioners meeting (2024)

Weather Alert

The following is transmitted in collaboration with the NebraskaDepartment of Health and Human Services and the NebraskaDepartment of Environment and Energy...WHAT...Air Quality AlertWHERE...Northern Nebraska and portions of central NebraskaWHEN...08/16/2024 5:00 PM until 08/18/2024 3:00 AMPOLLUTANT...PM 2.5 particulatesAIR QUALITY INDEX...Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups to UnhealthyADDITIONAL DETAILS...An alert for possible, periodic exposure to Unhealthy for SensitiveGroups (Air Quality Index orange category) to Unhealthy (Air QualityIndex red category) air quality due to smoke has been issued for thefollowing Nebraska counties - Sioux, Dawes, Box Butte, Sheridan,Garden, Cherry, Grant, Arthur, Keith, Hooker, McPherson, Lincoln,Thomas, Logan, Keya Paha, Brown, Rock, Blaine, Loup, Custer, Boyd,Holt, Garfield, Wheeler, Knox, Antelope, Boone, Cedar, Pierce,Madison, Dixon, Dakota, Wayne, Stanton, Thurston, Cuming, Burt,Dodge, and Washington from Friday, August 16 th , at 5PM toSunday, August 18 th , at 3 AM.During Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (AQI orange category)conditions, members of sensitive groups may experience healtheffects. Sensitive groups include people with heart or lung disease,older adults, and children. When conditions rise to the orangecategory, sensitive groups are advised to reduce prolonged or heavyexertion and avoid intense outdoor activities. During Unhealthy AQI(Red category) conditions, some members of the general public mayexperience health effects and members of sensitive groups mayexperience more serious health effects. Sensitive groups includepeople with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children.When conditions rise to the red category, everyone is advised toavoid prolonged or heavy exertion and those in sensitive groupsshould consider moving activities indoors or rescheduling.Smoke from Canadian and western U.S. wildfires may affect the airquality in Nebraska. Smoke levels and wind directions are monitoredby Nebraska and other states to predict when impacts to the airquality may occur. Information regarding wildfires and Impacts inNebraska is available from the Nebraska Department of Environmentand Energy (NDEE) at http://dee.ne.gov/NDEQProg.nsf/OnWeb/AirSA-3Alerts are based on data available from weather forecasts, smokeplume modeling, satellite imagery, and from air quality monitorslocated in Omaha, Bellevue, Blair, Lincoln, Beatrice, Grand Island,and Scottsbluff.Advisories for smoke and air quality are issued for affected areasby the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) andDepartment of Environment and Energy (NDEE) and posted on agencywebpages and social media sites. By notifying the media and localhealth departments, alerts help citizens protect their health byinforming them of days where outdoor activities should be reduced oravoided to minimize exposure to smoke.