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Air quality in Triad 'unhealthy' for sensitive groups, officials say

Air quality map of NC shows Triad region in code orange.
Courtesy Forsyth County Office of Environmental Assistance and Protection
Air quality map of NC shows Triad region in Code Orange.

Environmental officials are warning Triad residents of worsening air quality levels.

The Forsyth County Office of Environmental Assistance and Protection has issued a Code Orange alert for several counties, including Forsyth, Guilford, Randolph and others.

Officials say between high temperatures, sunshine, moderate humidity and stagnant air mass, ground-level ozone pollution is expected to reach unhealthy levels for sensitive groups.

These include youth and older adults, those with heart and lung disease and anyone who is active outdoors.

Officials recommend these groups limit activity outside and take frequent breaks. Residents and businesses can also do their part to prevent worsening pollution by driving less, holding off on using gas-powered lawn equipment and not burning vegetation.

Air Quality forecasts for the region can be monitored at the Forsyth County website.

Amy Diaz began covering education in North Carolina’s Piedmont region and High Country for WFDD in partnership with Report For America in 2022. Before entering the world of public radio, she worked as a local government reporter in Flint, Mich. where she was named the 2021 Rookie Writer of the Year by the Michigan Press Association. Diaz is originally from Florida, where she interned at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and freelanced for the Tampa Bay Times. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of South Florida, but truly got her start in the field in elementary school writing scripts for the morning news. You can follow her on Twitter at @amydiaze.