Dust storms — and their lingering effects — can be hazardous for several reasons: A dust storm’s initial wall of dust and debris can arrive suddenly and can catch people by surprise. Dust storms can make it difficult to see when you’re driving a car and can lead to car accidents. Dust in the air can cause serious problems for airplanes.
What is a dust storm?
The Short Answer: A dust storm is a wall of dust and debris that is blown into an area by strong winds from thunderstorms . The wall of dust created by a dust storm can be miles long and several thousand feet high.
One way to think about this is How do Dust Storms Form Earth Science Dust storms need a source for lots of loose soil or sand. Deserts and arid plains subject to dry spells work splendidly. They also need the right weather conditions in order to kick up a lot of dusta certain set of conditions on sea and land.
If a dust storm is spotted in your area, your local National Weather Service forecast office will issue a dust storm warning. Scientists can also use weather satellites to catch the first signs of a dust storm to help forecasters give an even earlier warning.
Dust storms can also cause mechanical problems in airplanes. Breathing dusty air during a dust storm can cause health problems — especially for people with asthma. A dust storm approaching Stratford, Texas, in April 1935.
How to survive in a dust storm?
Survive a Dust Storm or Sandstorm. Dust and sand storms are among natures most violent and unpredictable phenomena. High winds lift dirt or sand particles into.
Those strong winds whipped up dust in central Utah and then the unthinkable happened: Eight people died in chain-reaction collisions on I-15 involving at least 20 vehicles.
A mask designed to filter out small particulatesAirtight gogglesA water supplyA warm blanket, in the event of a winter dust storm, which can quickly lead to hypothermia.