Clark County Environment & Sustainability’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ) is issuing an air quality dust advisory for Thursday, Oct. 15 and Friday, Oct. 16. Intermittent winds are expected to begin at 8 a.m. today—including 40 m.p.h. wind gusts—and continue to 11 a.m. Friday.

Airborne dust is a form of inhalable air pollution called particulate matter or PM, which aggravates respiratory diseases. Under windy conditions people with heart or lung disease, older adults and children may feel better staying indoors as much as possible. They could be at greater risk from particulates, especially when they are physically active, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Consult your physician if you have a medical condition that makes you sensitive to air pollution.

The EPA’s Air Quality Index translates air quality data into colors to help people understand when they may experience health effects from air pollution. An AQI of 101 or more is considered a level that may be unhealthy for sensitive groups of people.

Tips to limit exposure to dust include:

• Limit outdoor exertion on windy days when dust is in the air.
• Keep windows and doors closed.
• Run your air conditioner inside your house and car to filter out particulates.
• Consider changing your indoor air filters if they are dirty.
• Don’t take short cuts across vacant lots.
• To keep dust down, drive slowly on unpaved roads.
• Ride off-road vehicles in approved areas outside the urban Las Vegas Valley.
• Call Environment and Sustainability’s dust complaint hotline at 702-385-DUST (3878) to report excessive amounts of blowing dust from construction sites, vacant lots or facilities.

STAY UP TO DATE WITH LOCAL AIR QUALITY INFORMATION

• Daily Air Quality Forecast Website: DESAQMonitoring.ClarkCountyNV.gov.
• Social Media: Facebook: www.facebook.com/ClarkCountyDES; Twitter/X: @ClarkCountyDES and Instagram: @clarkcountydes.
• Daily Text/Email Alerts: www.enviroflash.org.
• AIRNow Mobile App: https://www.airnow.gov/airnow-mobile-app/.