A week after Chattanooga reached its highest-ever pollen count, allergy sufferers still are battling levels almost 40 times those labeled as “high.”
The pollen count for the 24-hour period from Monday to Tuesday morning was 4,287 — considerably less than last week’s peak of 7,036 on April 7 but astronomical compared to the 61-to-120 range that constitutes high levels.
“It’s a pretty good bit higher than normal,” said Steve Langston, who measures the local pollen count for the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Air Pollution Control Bureau.
So much higher, in fact, that the city recently topped the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America’s top 100 list of the nation’s “allergy capitals.” In 2008, Chattanooga ranked No. 58 and, in just two years, it has soared to No. 3, said Angel Waldron, spokeswoman for the organization.