Millions in Texas Told To Avoid Driving Across Houston, Fort Worth

Millions of folks in Texas have been told to avoid driving to help battle high levels of ozone pollution.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has issued several Ozone Action Day alerts for Wednesday.
One covers the Houston, Galveston, and Brazoria areas, where “atmospheric conditions are expected to be favorable for producing high levels of ozone pollution,” the National Weather Service (NWS) said.
People in these places have been asked to find alternatives to driving if possible, such as walking or cycling.
The TCEQ said: “You can help prevent ozone pollution by sharing a ride, walking, riding a bicycle, taking your lunch to work, avoiding drive-through lanes, conserving energy and keeping your vehicle properly tuned.”
A separate but identical Ozone Action Day has been issued for the Dallas-Fort Worth area on Wednesday as well.
The TCEQ states on its website that ozone, or smog, is a gas formed in the atmosphere and that “summer days in Texas can be conducive for ozone formation as high-pressure systems dominate local weather patterns, giving [the state] clear skies and stagnant winds.”
“Ozone mainly forms in the highest concentrations on warm, sunny days with light wind speeds and low relative humidity which allows more of the pollutant to form and accumulate,” it added.
Motor vehicle exhaust and gasoline vapors are some of the major sources of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)—with the chemical reaction between them causing ground-level ozone when in sunlight.
The TCEQ states: “Ground-level ozone is of particular importance because it is a respiratory toxic agent that can cause acute respiratory health effects when people breathe high concentrations of it over several hours. These effects include decreased lung function and pain with deep breaths, and aggravated asthma symptoms.”
Meteorologists declare ozone action days on a day-to-day basis. The Ozone Forecast Season starts on April 1 and ends on October 31 for Austin, Corpus Christi, San Antonio, and Victoria.
The season for El Paso and Beaumont-Port Arthur also ends on October 31, but it starts a month later on May 1. Meanwhile, the season for Dallas-Fort Worth starts on March 1 and ends on October 31.
Houston’s is from March 1 to November 30 and Tyler-Longview’s is from May 1 to September 30.
Parts of Louisiana are also under an Ozone Advisory Day because the Air Quality Index indicates that ozone will be at the Orange level, which can be damaging for sensitive groups.
“Active children and adults, the elderly, and people with respiratory diseases such as asthma should avoid prolonged outdoor exertion,” the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality said.