PLANO, Texas — Drivers lined the parking lot Monday morning at Tommy’s Terrific Car Wash in Plano. Most had similar stories as to what brought them there and echoed the feelings of Plano resident Travis Buskey.
“It was a lot of dirt, and I got to my car earlier and it was just covered, and just like everybody else out here, I had to get that car washed,” said Buskey.
Monday morning the Dallas skyline was obscured by dust after strong winds carried the polluted air all the way from West Texas. While many were having to deal with cleaning up the mess left on their vehicles, the dirty air can pose bigger problems for those who already have issues breathing.
Medical experts also say when the air is this polluted, it can even affect people who don’t typically have upper respiratory issues. WFAA caught up with Dr. Joseph Chang, the chief medical officer at Parkland University.
“The other thing that I think people don’t think about much is exercise, even if you have good lungs, this level of pollution can make it difficult for people to exercise," said Chang.
He said one of the best things people can do is pay attention to their bodies. He says if you feel bad, stay inside. If you work outside, it’s best to take break.
"Just be smart, if you start feeling like you’re having trouble breathing, don’t push through it. That doesn’t mean you’re a wimp, it’s just that there’s extra dust in the air and maybe you need to slow down," said Chang.
Most of the dust had cleared from DFW skies by late Monday afternoon.