Haboob, Yep that is what this dust cloud is called…

My phone had  alerted me to this Haboob, a dust bowl of massive proportions. I was busy doing some rock art painting and about jumped out of my skin when I got the alert.  My phone is always handy sometimes too handy especially when these dust storms Haboob  come in. The Haboob alert  said to “pull to the side and stay alive”.  Yes the visibility is very low when you are in one of these.

It is like being in a white out  where you can only see the windshield and maybe the hood of your car. I do not know if many people pull off the road when a Haboob hits. I know I would.  Remember, a  dust storm does not last long.

What You Should Do

I believe that you should turn off your lights when you are pulled off the road. I read that other drivers sometimes see the tail lights and want to follow them because that is all they may see in this type of storm.  So you can imagine someone driving right into a stopped vehicle they think is moving because they can see the lights.

Therefore, I  the best course of action when you are caught in a Haboob is to pull way off the road and turn off your lights, if they are on. Keep your windows up because the dust is very fine and you do not want to breath it in. So that slogan “Pull to the side and stay alive” is very appropriate. Also, if you happen to get a cell phone alert for a Haboob dust storm and you make it through it then you will have a story  to tell your children or grand children.