SmogRank / Episodes / United States

Georgia, South Carolina and Florida, United States, April 2026

For 3 days, from 21 to 23 April 2026, 12 cities in the United States had PM2.5 at least twice their usual for the time of year. The worst reading was Valdosta, Georgia, United States: 71.3 µg/m³ on 22 April, about 8.3× its usual 8.6. Ended 23 April.

Likely smoke from firesFires were detected within 300 km of the city on 100% of the counted city-days and smoke was mapped over the city on 60%. Satellites see crop, field and forest fires alike, so this doesn't say which burned.
Cities reached12in 1 country
Days321 to 23 April 2026
Worst day22 April9 cities counted
Furthest above usual8.3×Valdosta

Day by day

22 April 9 cities at twice their usual or more
McDonoughSavannahAthensCandler-McAfeeLawrencevilleTallahasseeAtlantaJacksonvilleGainesvilleFruit CovePonte Vedra BeachNorth CharlestonMontgomeryGadsdenFlorenceLeedsTrussvilleBirminghamFairfieldBessemerHueytownConwayRed HillMidwayFerry PassWest PensacolaAlbanySaint AndrewsColumbusDentsvilleLake CityAugustaSandersvilleBrunswickMaconWarner RobinsDouglasValdosta
18 Apr1920212223242526
Every measured city in the area, coloured by its PM2.5 that day; a dark ring marks a city at twice its usual or more. Bars: cities counted each day, coloured by their median level. Choose a day or press play; without JavaScript, the days link to that day's world ranking.

How it spread

ValdostaValdosta, 18 April: 8.9 µg/m³Valdosta, 19 April: 6.1 µg/m³Valdosta, 20 April: 5.2 µg/m³Valdosta, 21 April: 68.4 µg/m³, 8.0× its usual 8.6Valdosta, 22 April: 71.3 µg/m³, 8.3× its usual 8.6Valdosta, 23 April: 15.3 µg/m³Valdosta, 24 April: 8.4 µg/m³Valdosta, 25 April: 5.6 µg/m³Valdosta, 26 April: 6.0 µg/m³BrunswickBrunswick, 18 April: 21.7 µg/m³Brunswick, 19 April: 14.7 µg/m³Brunswick, 20 April: 7.0 µg/m³Brunswick, 21 April: 38.8 µg/m³, 5.5× its usual 7.0Brunswick, 22 April: 29.6 µg/m³, 4.2× its usual 7.0Brunswick, 23 April: 6.2 µg/m³Brunswick, 24 April: 11.8 µg/m³Brunswick, 25 April: 7.5 µg/m³Brunswick, 26 April: 68.2 µg/m³Lake CityLake City, 18 April: 11.2 µg/m³Lake City, 19 April: 30.9 µg/m³Lake City, 20 April: no readingLake City, 21 April: 27.4 µg/m³, 3.3× its usual 8.4Lake City, 22 April: 10.3 µg/m³Lake City, 23 April: 39.5 µg/m³, 4.7× its usual 8.4Lake City, 24 April: 6.3 µg/m³Lake City, 25 April: 7.5 µg/m³Lake City, 26 April: 7.7 µg/m³DouglasDouglas, 18 April: 8.0 µg/m³Douglas, 19 April: 4.6 µg/m³Douglas, 20 April: 4.3 µg/m³Douglas, 21 April: 26.4 µg/m³, 3.6× its usual 7.3Douglas, 22 April: 59.0 µg/m³, 8.2× its usual 7.2Douglas, 23 April: 40.5 µg/m³, 5.5× its usual 7.3Douglas, 24 April: 8.2 µg/m³Douglas, 25 April: 8.0 µg/m³Douglas, 26 April: 6.9 µg/m³ColumbusColumbus, 18 April: 6.4 µg/m³Columbus, 19 April: 4.4 µg/m³Columbus, 20 April: 12.9 µg/m³Columbus, 21 April: 25.9 µg/m³, 3.3× its usual 7.9Columbus, 22 April: 30.6 µg/m³, 3.8× its usual 8.0Columbus, 23 April: 21.3 µg/m³Columbus, 24 April: 12.0 µg/m³Columbus, 25 April: 5.8 µg/m³Columbus, 26 April: 5.2 µg/m³MaconMacon, 18 April: 19.1 µg/m³Macon, 19 April: 5.5 µg/m³Macon, 20 April: 9.6 µg/m³Macon, 21 April: 12.1 µg/m³Macon, 22 April: 53.9 µg/m³, 5.9× its usual 9.1Macon, 23 April: 32.5 µg/m³, 3.6× its usual 9.1Macon, 24 April: 35.2 µg/m³Macon, 25 April: 11.6 µg/m³Macon, 26 April: 7.1 µg/m³Warner RobinsWarner Robins, 18 April: 8.2 µg/m³Warner Robins, 19 April: 4.6 µg/m³Warner Robins, 20 April: 5.6 µg/m³Warner Robins, 21 April: 9.0 µg/m³Warner Robins, 22 April: 50.0 µg/m³, 6.3× its usual 7.9Warner Robins, 23 April: 21.8 µg/m³Warner Robins, 24 April: 14.6 µg/m³Warner Robins, 25 April: 7.7 µg/m³Warner Robins, 26 April: 6.1 µg/m³AugustaAugusta, 18 April: 13.9 µg/m³Augusta, 19 April: 5.3 µg/m³Augusta, 20 April: 6.3 µg/m³Augusta, 21 April: 6.9 µg/m³Augusta, 22 April: 39.9 µg/m³, 4.7× its usual 8.5Augusta, 23 April: 32.6 µg/m³, 3.8× its usual 8.5Augusta, 24 April: 25.5 µg/m³Augusta, 25 April: 19.4 µg/m³Augusta, 26 April: 9.1 µg/m³SandersvilleSandersville, 18 April: 10.5 µg/m³Sandersville, 19 April: 5.1 µg/m³Sandersville, 20 April: 4.1 µg/m³Sandersville, 21 April: 6.6 µg/m³Sandersville, 22 April: 38.9 µg/m³, 4.8× its usual 8.1Sandersville, 23 April: 24.5 µg/m³Sandersville, 24 April: 13.9 µg/m³Sandersville, 25 April: 10.1 µg/m³Sandersville, 26 April: 5.7 µg/m³AlbanyAlbany, 18 April: 7.2 µg/m³Albany, 19 April: 5.2 µg/m³Albany, 20 April: 4.7 µg/m³Albany, 21 April: 9.5 µg/m³Albany, 22 April: 31.1 µg/m³, 3.2× its usual 9.6Albany, 23 April: 17.3 µg/m³Albany, 24 April: 10.2 µg/m³Albany, 25 April: 5.0 µg/m³Albany, 26 April: 4.2 µg/m³DentsvilleDentsville, 18 April: 11.5 µg/m³Dentsville, 19 April: 6.2 µg/m³Dentsville, 20 April: 4.2 µg/m³Dentsville, 21 April: 5.0 µg/m³Dentsville, 22 April: 18.2 µg/m³Dentsville, 23 April: 34.6 µg/m³, 4.6× its usual 7.5Dentsville, 24 April: 21.5 µg/m³Dentsville, 25 April: 19.5 µg/m³Dentsville, 26 April: 7.1 µg/m³Saint AndrewsSaint Andrews, 18 April: 10.6 µg/m³Saint Andrews, 19 April: 5.6 µg/m³Saint Andrews, 20 April: 3.9 µg/m³Saint Andrews, 21 April: 4.9 µg/m³Saint Andrews, 22 April: 21.0 µg/m³Saint Andrews, 23 April: 27.5 µg/m³, 3.5× its usual 7.8Saint Andrews, 24 April: 20.0 µg/m³Saint Andrews, 25 April: 18.2 µg/m³Saint Andrews, 26 April: 6.9 µg/m³18 Apr1920212223242526
Every counted city, in the order the episode reached them, 3 days before to 3 after. Each square is a day, coloured by that day's PM2.5; outlined: at twice the city's usual or more.
Good0–50
Moderate51–100
Sensitive groups101–150
Unhealthy151–200
Very unhealthy201–300
Hazardous301+

Every city it reached

CityDaysHighestUsualAbove usual
ValdostaGeorgia, United States2 71.322 April8.68.3×
DouglasGeorgia, United States3 59.022 April7.28.2×
Warner RobinsGeorgia, United States1 50.022 April7.96.3×
MaconGeorgia, United States2 53.922 April9.15.9×
BrunswickGeorgia, United States2 38.821 April7.05.5×
SandersvilleGeorgia, United States1 38.922 April8.14.8×
AugustaGeorgia, United States2 39.922 April8.54.7×
Lake CityFlorida, United States2 39.523 April8.44.7×
DentsvilleSouth Carolina, United States1 34.623 April7.54.6×
ColumbusGeorgia, United States2 30.622 April8.03.8×
Saint AndrewsSouth Carolina, United States1 27.523 April7.83.5×
AlbanyGeorgia, United States1 31.122 April9.63.2×

Daily means in µg/m³, over the days each city counted in this episode. Highest: its highest of those days. Usual: the city's median for the time of year of that day (its days within 21 days of the date, every year, leaving out the week around it). Above usual: its highest day against that, with a usual under 5 µg/m³ taken as 5.

Against other episodes in the United States

Number 96 of 151 episodes in the United States since our records began, by cities reached.

Bars: cities reached; colour: the level of the episode's highest daily reading. All 151.

Use this page

SmogRank, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida, United States, April 2026: 12 cities with PM2.5 at twice their usual or more, 21 to 23 April 2026, smogrank.com/episodes/2026-04-georgia-south-carolina-and-florida-united-states (accessed 5 October 2026).

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You're welcome to reuse a single chart, image or figure with this citation and a link. Terms.

An episode is a run of days when many cities close to each other (four or more within 350 km on a day, 8 or more in all) each had a daily PM2.5 mean of at least 25 µg/m³ and at least 2 times their usual for that time of year. Found in our own measurements, not picked by hand. How we find episodes. Values are each city's daily mean of its own monitors; causes are the usual kinds for a pattern like this, not a confirmed source. Fire detections from NASA FIRMS; smoke maps from NOAA HMS.