One of the most interesting and slightly terrifying experiences I have lived through is driving through a dust storm. Of course images of the movie Lawrence of Arabia, quickly entered my mind. If you have not seen the movie or at the very least that sand storm scene you may want to check it out. Fortunately, I lived to tell my story and it was nowhere near as bad as the movie. I later found out that there is a difference between a sandstorm and a dust storm. Before we get to the video of my experience, let me share some interesting differences about a sandstorm and a dust storm.
Sandstorm and Dust Storm Differences
Sandstorms are tiny specks of sand that are carried by strong winds, and are mostly confined to 10 feet and sometimes raise as high as 50 feet above the ground. Sand is larger than dust and fall out of the air faster. Dust storms tend to fill the air and cover an extensive area of land. Because dust is smaller in size it can travel higher and farther.
Dust storms are categorized into three types of storms:
Localized - Formed by winds, typical around agricultural crops, small blinding dust, difficult to predict. Short and sudden.
Winter to Early Spring Gradient - High winds over large areas, widespread and create cloudy and/or hazy atmosphere.
Monsoon Convective - Produced by downbursts and severe thunderstorms. The burst can lift dust up to 5,000 feet. Large and thick in density. Travel can be as fast as 30 to 60 miles per hour, 30 to 100 miles wide, and 100 to 200 miles long.
Any one of these dust storms are hazardous conditions. I found this out the hard way, as this was my first week in Colorado. Nice welcome to the state with a motto of Nil Sine Numine. The English translation is “Nothing without providence,” or “Nothing without the Deity.” Now isn’t that the truth! It just so happens that the most common areas of the United States for dust storms are in the south and southwestern territories. Colorado is included in that zone of infamous dust storms.
Some interesting facts that are important to remember, should you come upon a dust storm are:
They cause dangerous driving conditions.
Unsafe particles in the air can cause a risk in breathing.
Fungi, pollutants, heavy metals, chemicals and bacteria, including fungi that causes valley fever can be transported by the dust storm.
Lung disorders can be irritated causing an asthma or allergic attack.
The warning I did not receive, and maybe because I had never been in this area of the USA, was to never drive through a dust storm. Slow down if you cannot stop, pull off the road, turn off the lights, stop the car and put the emergency brake on. Do not stop in the middle of the road. Wait until the storm passes.
If you are not driving but find yourself outside, seek shelter as soon as possible. If you are in a building, stay in side and keep all windows closed. If you are caught outside, cover your head by protecting your openings. That means cover your ears, nose, mouth and eyes with any cloth you might have, but do not suffocate yourself! Peace.
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I have a story to go with yours.
In 1976, I'd graduated Tech School in the AirForce
(Wichita Falls Tx), drove home
To Ga with a friend and his wife and kid
(they were from Hawaii
And couldn't afford to go home for the leave.)
They came to my home and spent leave with me in Ga.
I had TDY/ more school at Vandenburg in Ca, which was also his
Next duty station. Our drive took us along I-10 from Tucson and Phoenix Az to Cali.
Between Tucson and Phoenix, we had to drive through a 'haboob' which is what your video looks like. The wind was coming 90° across the highway from the left;
I had to keep my wheel turned like I was
Making a turn to counteract the force of the wind.
My friend and his wife were in the car directly behind us.
At one point, there was a particularly strong gust.
Later, when we stopped, my left tail light, the red plastic lens cover was gone! My friend said he'd seen it get SUCKED right out and go tumbling off into the blowing dust and sand.
Hi @jerrytsuseer, I did look the haboob up and it is a type of dust storm that seems to be mixed in with a thunderstorm. Also, the haboob does not appear to be part of the Colorado ecosystem. That said, so many changes have occurred within the earth that anything is possible. What a great story and were you nervous at all? What did you all do, did you just keep on driving and for how long? I guess being in the Air Force and possibly a pilot you may not get nervous over these little gusts of wind. LOL
Glad to hear from you and I hope all is well!
Well, first off, I was young, 10 ft tall and bullet proof, second, I was a missile man; I worked underground, but that was only AFTER I completed my training... at this point I was just
Young. Possibly brave.
Yes, we both just kept on driving, we were on a deadline and had to report into our next
Stations.
About a month later in Cali I got a ticket for driving with a missing tail light cover. That bloody
Piece of plastic was about $50! which was a LOT of money in 1976, was for me anyway.
Did you ever get your dTube troubles figured out? I gave up with them. I just found dMania, which seems at first to be a thing to post videos (among other things) I've only don't one.
Once posted, it can only be viewed in dMania, so that is a drawback. My one little post
Has gotten exactly one upvote since I posted it two days ago. :(
10 ft tall LOL
Bulletproof LOL
Missile interesting!
Underground ... yikes!
Brave is always good.
Okay regarding the continued drive.
Why didn't you buy that colored tape? $2. LOL
I have not yet figured dTube, it has gotten worse. I cannot even load the new one up, just a blank page. SMH.
so can we click dMania video in Steemit? I'll go check yours out. I hate the 1 upvote posts, good thing you make more on all your others!
I may have to just create a new post for it.
You should check out my mama's story I've been posting these last few days.
If you like @eaglespirit ♥
Sure thing, as soon as I respond to all my comments and post another blog. LOL!
One other thing @eaglespirit after cali, I was STATIONED in Tucson for almost 6 yrs, lived there altogether for 7, from '76-'82...I heard stories of cars, parked in the desert, which after one of these events, would be sand blasted down to the metal on the windward side, but untouched on the other side.
Holy C, blasted down to the metal? That is crazyyyyyyyy
Dust and storm are two things i dont fancy that much but they are natural as we cant do anything to halt it so we must love it. Awesome post @eaglespirit
Totally scary @tfame3865, very true regarding nothing we can do but love it! LOL
Thank you so much for your support and comment. xx
I never knew the difference between a sandstorm (like they have in West Texas) and a duststorm (which you can drive into almost anywhere in the West.) But what you wrote here makes a lot of sense.
Sandstorms are basically blowing tiny rocks at you. It stings when you have to be out in one ... and I have been in one 60 mph one where I had to wait until "between gusts" to be able to walk forward. Otherwise, all I could do was just stand my ground and try not to get toppled over.
Facing / trying to walk with the wind was even more hazardous. The wind pushes you until your feet can't even keep up and you can't keep them under you. You can't keep your eyes open in either one ... and you can't breathe well either. They are nothing to be out in. Srsly.
Anyway ... that's not the point of my visit today. I'm here to say you were included recently in my new curation project The Inbox Runneth Over. You can find your post on Empath Protection Methods showcased at this link. Stop by when you have a minute and see what else I found along the trail. Your companions here are all interesting in their own way.
I am also several days late managing to notify you of this on your blog, although I do note the people I include in our Discord group when I announce a new Inbox issue. Look for future acknowledgements to appear with you tagged in the publication announcement in the railway post office channel. (Running behind in getting comments written is pretty much standard for me. There are just not enough hours in the day.)
You'll see a vote for about $.80 done by singing.beauty in your list. That's from me. That is well above what I could give you in a simple upvote myself ... and I want inclusion in Inbox to be known as a "rewarding experience."
Also, there is an individual in Steemit who has made my ability to do this work and reward it this way much more difficult, but we work with what we have. Keep putting out quality posts, and I'll keep finding creative ways to encourage it. As I tell my husband when he yells at our pets, "It helps if you're smarter than the cat."
My dear @enchantedspirit, that certainly is a comment! Wow! I am not sure where to begin. Thank you so much for seeing my work and rewarding me. I am forever grateful. It is not always easy since I am writing nonstop but it people like you who make me feel that the energy I put into my posts most definitely are worth writing. It truly touches my soul and spirit, to know that I have met such wonderful people as yourself. I adore you and your husband to bits.
As far as the storm, I cannot believe you even attempted to walk in a 60 MPH sandstorm. I was in a jeep and I was pretty freaked out. I have no ideas the MPH, but it was enough for me to get a bit nervous.
I will always try to make my rounds to see when you all are promoting my work, I try to upvote, comment, and resteem. you all deserve that much from me. I will try to always do my utmost to support you as you support me. When we all make it big we can meet and talk about how hard we worked, nonstop, all day ... for months and hit it big. :)
Thank you and much love to you both, and the dog, and the cat. BTW, where are photos of them? We need to see the babies. I love the last quote, its the quotes that kill me. xx
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Yay!! Thank you so much my lovely people! xx
Luckily it was a dust storm and you didn’t drive into Stephen King's Mist.
IKR @fknmayhem!? If The Mist had got me, I would have definitely been a Goner.
That's pretty scary Cass! You can't see anything because of the dust. I'm glad you are safe.
Hi @dawnsheree, it was pretty scary! Could not see much at all. Thank you so much kind friend. xx
I experienced driving through a dust storm once, wasn't as bad as yours but still pretty scary!!
Hi there @hoosain, was yours kinda cloudy too? Yes, it came upon me sudden-like and it was very scary. Good thing I was close to the place I would be staying the night and drove real slow.
@eaglespirit Oh my gosh! That's just crazy! Thankfully you were OK, but yes... pulling over may have been a better option! Thank you for sharing the differences and what to do should the need arise!
Hi @redwellies, yes very crazy. Thank you so much for your support and empathy. i was close by to where i would be staying so just drove real slow. It really did happen suddenly and you are welcome regarding what to do should it happen to you. LOL
Oh wow! Guess if you didn't live there where this happens it would be a terrifying experience!
Yeah, it was pretty sketchy there for a moment. LOL
Especially, driving happily down the road and it comes upon you quite suddenly. I guess the same for anyone who has never lived through and earthquake, since I grew up with them it is nothing but for others people flip out pretty bad. I feel the same through lightening storms, hurricanes, tornadoes. Not really "good times." xx Eagle.
Yeah thunderstorms are pretty erie.
LOL!
