These images look like they’re from the days of the catastrophic Dust Bowl in the 1930s, but, hand to God, these are very recent pictures.
Photo Credit: Facebook,Mike Oblinski
A giant wall of dust known as a haboob barreled through the southern portion of Arizona, confounding drivers along Interstate 8.
The storm chaser who shot the video above said of the storm, “The dust storm was so bad everyone stopped driving on the road. It was intense and pretty dangerous.”
Photo Credit: Facebook,Mike Oblinski
Haboobs occur when thunderstorms descend on dry deserts, and the air from the storm disturbs the sand and dust on the desert floor. The dust gathers and forms a big cloud that picks up more material as it moves, sometimes with wind speeds of 80-100 miles per hour. A meteorologist estimated that this particular haboob traveled about 250 miles.
Photo Credit: Facebook,Mike Oblinski
If you happen to see one of these unique weather phenomenons, get off the road (and take some photos!).