70-mile Dust Cloud rolls into Phoenix

[K__M]

Added On July 6, 2011
Time lapse video of an unusual dust storm that plowed through parts of Arizona before reaching Phoenix.

See video on Cnn: http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2011/07/06/vo.az.dust.storm.ktvk?&hpt=hp_c2

PHOENIX – People all over the Valley were cleaning up Mother Nature's mess Wednesday after a massive dust storm that’s being described as “historic” swept from one side of the Valley to the other Tuesday night.

Dust was still hovering in the air Wednesday morning, creating a haze. While the air might have looked awful, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality said all of its particulate monitors were elevated but still below federal standard for health. The sole exception was in Chandler.

"There is a lot of moisture in the atmosphere. This moisture wraps around suspended particles, enhancing the appearance of the particle and making it look worse than it actually is," ADEQ explained in an e-mail to the media.

Experts said the dust storm-induced haze would likely linger through the day and possibly into tomorrow because surface winds were going to be light.

The monster monsoon dust storm started with some thunderstorm outflows in Pima County just north of Tucson. It reduced visibility to nearly nothing as it rolled northwest and over the Phoenix metro area.

The huge wall of dust was between 50 and 70 miles wide and one mile deep. The National Weather Service clocked wind gusts at more than 60 mph, which is nearly the strength of a Category 1 hurricane. The storm moved quite fast, whipping across the Valley at about 35 mph.

Read more here: http://www.azfamily.com/news/local/Massive-dust-storm-sweeps-through-Phoenix-metro-125072384.html

 

[HeffeD]

That looks just like a special effect in a movie! I would definitely need to change my pants if I saw that thing coming towards me! :blush:

Edit: Yes, I realize that was time lapse video...

 

[K__M]

Lol,

I would be scared too!

Crazy weather

 

[Gnosis]

Where is James? I bet he has seen a few of these in Saudi Arabia.

 

[Jack]

WOW!!!That's scary!:s
For those who are from Europe , 70 mile = 112.65408 kilometers .... fast,very fast...

the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality said all of its particulate monitors were elevated but still below federal standard for health

Really??Really? ....

 

[Devial]

HOLYSHIT! - I better be indoor, all windows closed please

 

[Dejan]

That looked really cool in that video, wonder what it was like for everyone there

 

[Deleted member 178]

this is how a cloud AV works ok i leave...

 

[jamescv7]

Where is James? I bet he has seen a few of these in Saudi Arabia.

ZOU1 actually that dust cloud/ sandstorm yet happened when I'm grade 6 student it happened March 2008. Its very devastating since very red sandstorm. It became zero visibility, flights were diverted to nearest location due to heavy sandstorm.

That's my first time to encounter that sandstorm except the ordinary sandstorm.

 

[jamescv7]

Well at this moment, there is a heavy sandstorm which almost same like I was grade 6 before,

 

[illumination]

This actually goes without saying, but i would not want to be caught out in one of these! Still shaking head at the particulate monitor readings and it still being below federal standard for health!