Air Quality: Staying Safe While Outside in the City

Heat in the City

It’s hot in summer, and it’s hotter in the city! Living in and around the District, you probably feel the difference, but science backs it up, too.  According to the EPA, cities like DC can be up to 5 degrees warmer than surrounding rural areas. Even more surprising is that due to our infrastructure, heat holds longer throughout the day, creating up to a 22-degree difference in temperature by evening in comparison to the surrounding rural areas. 

Extreme heat and prolonged heat can lead to heat-related illnesses. The CDC has created an easy-to-read chart to familiarize you with these preventable heat illnesses. It’s also good to understand these illnesses so that you can spot them in your loved ones and your neighbors. If you see someone who may be struggling in the heat, ask if they need help. DC specially has a hyperthermia hotline, and you can call 9-1-1, too. We like Thrive DC’s guide for helping unhoused folks during a heat emergency.

Ground Level Ozone

Now that we know it's extra hot in the city, what is ground-level ozone? Ground-level ozone, also known as smog, is when pollution from vehicles and factories mix with organic compounds as a result of the increase in sunlight and heat. This mixture harms our lungs and can increase health concerns such as asthma, coughing, trouble breathing, dizziness, and wheezing. 

How to reduce your exposure

Always check your weather apps and the news for air quality reports. At 95 degrees, DC and Maryland go into a heat emergency, and 90 degrees for Virginia. Here's DC's, Maryland's and Virginia's heat emergency plans.

Schedule your time to be outside before 10am and after 6pm. Ground Level Ozone increases with temperature, and it’s important to limit your time at its highest levels. 

Plan your favorite outdoor activities in areas away from roads. The further away from vehicle emissions, the better. Maybe visit a DC-area splash park!

Eat nourishing food and drink more water than you think you need. Properly fueling and hydrating our bodies helps us to fight back against chemicals and pollutants and flush them from our systems. 

If you have to be out all day, schedule lots of breaks and seek shade or shelter while eating and resting. 

DMV's Heat Emergency Plan

When a state or county enacts the heat emergency plan, some services are made available to residents and visitors of the city. Cooling Stations are one of them. This is the current list of cooling centers in the DMV area. For DC specifically, transportation to a shelter is available, and you can call 311 or the Shelter Hotline (202) 399-7093 for aid and information. Please note that transportation can be limited, so plan accordingly. 

At Nest, we believe that happy homes make for happy residents, who cultivate strong, local communities that sustain our neighborhoods. Check out our other posts for more happy home content!