Haboob: Those Crazy Dust Storms

I posted this over two years ago.  Since it is almost monsoon season and the dust storms are kicking up, I thought I would repost it.

dust storm 1934

Every year during the monsoon season in Arizona, a massive dust storm moves through the state and swallows up every city in its path. Tonight, it has returned. These dust storms devourer whole cities like Tucson, Phoenix and all their surrounding cities. I have seen them on the TV news slowly making a meal of people, homes, vehicles and anything else in their disruptive path. You watch as a huge wall of dust makes its way slowly towards the city you live in knowing what is about to come. The sky turns from blue to a dusty brown and you feel the wind pick up in a rapid movement. For a few minutes, your eyes water and you can’t breathe. It is a person suffering with allergies worst nightmare. (That would be me). You watch as your lawn furniture topples over and flies into your neighbor’s yard. You are better off being home or safely in a building and not in your car on the road because the visibility will disappear quickly as it moves over your vehicle.

One time after picking up my kids from a water park, we got caught in one. The visibility quickly went from clear to zero. I put on my low beams and moved over to the right as far as I could. The car in front of me disappeared which made it pretty scary. We sat there hoping that other cars would see us if they were stupid enough to continue driving. After a few minutes, the dust and wind went by and I was able to see the road and other cars again.

I realize that a dust storm is not a bad as a tornado or hurricane, but for us Zonies it’s something we live with every year and causes lots of damage. But, considering what lives in the Fog and Mist, we wonder what type of creepy creature is living in the Dust storm. Muahahahaha!

Comments

  1. Ok, suddenly some chilly June weather and rain doesn't sound so bad...

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  2. I have to say, that huge wall of orange coming at us, making the sunshine turn everything orange around you is one freaky thing. You see it coming, but you never realize how fast it moves. By the time you step outside to see the wall, it's engulfing the trees a hundred feet away and then BAM! You're sand blasted. I'm glad I no longer have to clean the pool afterwards. Miserable job!

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  3. Driving in it is the worst... very scary!

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  4. that is one crazy dust cloud!

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  5. I remember this from when I lived in Arizona as a kid! We lived there from 1990-1993. I was only 9 when we moved away... I hadn't thought about this in YEARS! I love it, makes me want to move back. Is that weird? hahaha

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  6. Over here in PA, Dust Storms are something that we never see. I can only imagine what it's like to get caught in one. Must be darn awful. Can't see, can't breath right, and everything is full of dust and sand. No thanks.

    Les

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  7. I got caught in one of those once, while driving a rental car for a work related trip. I literally could not see even 5 feet in front of me. I came to a stop, and like you, prayed the idiots around me weren't dumb enough to keep driving. What an experience.

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