Smoke from south of the border graying much of Texas' skies (Where are enviro-nuts?)

Austin American Statesman ^ | 05/08/03 | Hannah Lobel/AP

[af_vet_rr]

Smoke from south of the border graying much of Texas' skies

By Hannah Lobel ASSOCIATED PRESS Wednesday, May 7, 2003

DALLAS — Smoke from agricultural fires in Mexico and Central America has spread across the eastern two-thirds of the state, sparking an influx of asthmatic children to hospitals from Mission to Austin and graying skies as far north as Dallas.

Some of the fires — burned to wipe out old crops or clear rain forest for farmland — have burned out of control this year because of an unusually dry dry season. Persistent southeasterly winds are picking up the smoke, carrying it about 900 miles and dumping it on South Texas, said Bryan Lambeth, a senior meteorologist with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

"It's definitely above normal this year," Lambeth said. "This is the worst smoke that we've seen since 1998."

That's when the smoky haze was so bad that U.S. fire fighting experts were sent to southern Mexico to help combat the fires, whose smoke had reached as far north as the Great Plains.

South Texas has labored under the gray haze for over a week. The TCEQ warned this week that the level of particulate matter the air in McAllen and surrounding areas was unhealthy for sensitive groups, meaning the elderly, children, pregnant women and people with respiratory conditions or heart problems.

The air quality has been taking its toll on the health of South Texas residents.

About 50 percent more children and about 30 percent more older adults have been coming into the emergency room with respiratory problems at Mission Hospital since Sunday, Chief Operations Officer Mario Garza said. People also were complaining that their eyes were burning.

"You don't expect 100 plus temperatures in the springtime, and to add insult to injury, you have this very difficult breathing situation," Garza said. The smoke was so prevalent that Garza said his collar turned completely black at a recent ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The smoke travels north from South Texas in what Lambeth called pulses. Central Texas has registered moderate levels of smoke for more than a week and the Dallas-Forth Worth was hit by the haze on May 3. A few sites in both regions had levels deemed unhealthy for sensitive groups.

The smoke was a likely culprit in the breathing difficulties suffered by seven asthmatic children admitted to Children's Hospital of Austin on Monday, said Lanora Doud, a respiratory therapist at the hospital, which averages about two admissions of asthmatics a day.

"Kids have a harder time than adults because their airways are a lot smaller," Doud explained. The children also have had to contend with the weather changes, humidity and new plants that May brings, she said.

Her advice to parents of asthmatic children: "Keep 'em indoors."

The TCEQ also recommends setting air conditioning units to the recirculate mode and limiting outdoor activities, particularly physically stressful ones.

Some relief may come to Central and North Texas Sunday, when a cold front is expected to sweep the smoke back to South Texas. But it will probably return by the middle of next week, Lambeth said.

On Wednesday the line of smoke was pushing farther west, possibly reaching Abilene and San Angelo, Lambeth said.

[af_vet_rr]

Where are the environmentalists protesting down in Mexico? I don't see the liberals complaining about what's going on in Mexico. If we did something that sent even a small cloud of smoke over into Mexico or Canada, they'd be be freaking out and picketing the WH and staging marches and protests. It's okay though, for Mexico to send a huge cloud of this crap over into Texas.

Didn't know where to put this, figure it's news/relevant to those of us in Texas.

[mewzilla]

But you see it's okay for developing nations to pollute...

[af_vet_rr]

On a side note, they are trying to ban smoking in Austin in certain areas (public, bars, restaraunts, etc.). Somewhat amusing that the city council/mayor is working on that, meanwhile you can't walk outside anywhere around here without seeing and smelling the smoke.

[Kenton]

Smoke from south of the border graying much of Texas' skies (Where are enviro-nuts?)

There's no way to blame this on America, so it's not an issue to them.

[af_vet_rr]

Don't you love hypocrisy

[anymouse]

Maybe the Mexicans are signalling their pending loss to the US at the Soccer match in Houston today. :)

[DuncanWaring]

...send a huge cloud of this crap over into Texas.

That's OK. It's not "illegal" smoke - it's "undocumented" smoke.

< / sarcasm>

[N. Theknow]

Is it global juarming?

[oceanperch]

Burning S U V's in the PNW.

[buffyt]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/908042/posts?page=1
Related story.

[buffyt]

Excellent point!!!!!!!!!!!

[buffyt]

bump

[buffyt]

Globull Juarming! ha ha ha

[Allegra]

That's OK. It's not "illegal" smoke - it's "undocumented" smoke.

ROFL!!

I remember this Mexican smoke happening about five years ago, too and it seems it was even worse that time. This is probably Vicente Fox's way of getting even with Bush for the current chilling of relations. :)

[buffyt]

They are comparing this to the bad smoke of 1998, which would be about five years ago. What is funny, I have lived here since 1973 and I don't remember this smoke before now. I don't know why I didn't notice it! But it is horrible this year. The sun hasn't been seen for such a long time. My eyes are burning and I am in a closed up air conditioned house. My sister lives in Tulsa and said the skies are gray there too.

[humblegunner]

I watch this happen every year.
The environazi's never seem to take notice of it.
Its just a "natural" burning after all, no S.U.V.s involved.

[txdoda]

On a side note, they are trying to ban smoking in Austin in certain areas (public, bars, restaraunts, etc.). Somewhat amusing that the city council/mayor is working on that, meanwhile you can't walk outside anywhere around here without seeing and smelling the smoke. >>>>>>

Yeah, more dumbass politicians ready to ban smoking in city
businesses, then they can't figure out why revenues are down & small businesses are FORCED to close, or move out of
the city limits.

Same dumbasses who decided it's now against the law to burn
LEAVES.

[sarcasm]

Mexico - the country that keeps on giving.

[af_vet_rr]

I remember this Mexican smoke happening about five years ago, too and it seems it was even worse that time. This is probably Vicente Fox's way of getting even with Bush for the current chilling of relations. :)

Although I just moved back to Austin/Central Texas in the past year or so, I've got family and friends that never left the area and they are saying it seems worse than it was 5 years ago as well, so your not alone in thinking that.

It is starting to bother me a bit, and it seems like there are a lot more people sniffling/sneezing and coughing today than there was yesterday. I don't think I'll be going out tomorrow or at least stay indoors as much as possible - supposed to be more of the same, if not worse.

Would be nice if somebody brought this up to Mexico - we all know the enviros would be soiling themselves if the US was doing this to Mexico.

[Texas Mom]

I can't even spend much time outside or my eyes begin to water and burn. But Texas answer to pollution seems to be lower the speed limit and ban smoking in restaurants. Go figure.