Health officials on both sides of the lake are carefully monitoring a massive 5,000-mile-long plume of Saharan Dust heading towards Louisiana.
The dust plume is expected to reach the Gulf Coast today.
The dust also called The Saharan Air Layer, will cause air quality in the area deteriorate as severe storms expected to move across the New Orleans metro area will mix with the dust and bring it down to the surface, which could cause respiratory health problems for some people.
“Anyone with respiratory issues or vulnerable to poor air quality should pay very close attention to advisories and take health precautions that can help minimize the effects from this dust storm,” said New Orleans Health Director, Dr. Jennifer Avegno.
St. Tammany Parish Coroner, Dr. Charles Preston, is asking residents to be cautious of potential lung impairments that can result from the microscopic dust.
"People with underlying health conditions like asthma, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema or COPD should enjoy the enhanced sunset views from indoors with filtered air, or while wearing a protective mask, if outdoors," Preston said. "Like the flower of foxglove, which contains digitalis, these sunsets can be beautiful but deadly."