Drought, climate change and land management practices are making dust storms more prevalent in some U.S. regions, like the Southwest. One study found that the frequency of large dust storms in the Southwest more than doubled from 1990 to 2011.
More rainfall could be a factor decreasing risk in some areas, like the eastern U.S., but experts said flash droughts and heavy agricultural use mean that localized dust storms can swirl with little notice in these places and surprise drivers unfamiliar with these storms’ hazard.
“We had a prolonged event of dry warm weather for early April that dried off our top soil down to eight inches — dried it to dust,” said Trent Ford, the Illinois State Climatologist. “But the bottom layer retained moisture and Monday’s really strong winds made the top layer airborne. It was really an unfortunate location along one of the busiest highways.
“If you breathe particles of stuff in the air and it gets into your respiratory tract, in your lungs, it’s going to cause irritation whether it’s toxic or not,” Gill said. “It adds to the burden of air pollution.”
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
NJ Drought Wiped Out by Heavy Rains Last Weekend, Drought Monitor ShowsDrought conditions across New Jersey completely disappeared after last weekend’s torrential rains, according to the new U.S. Drought Monitor report Thursday. The latest monitor shows absolutely no drought or dryness conditions in the state as of May 2. A week ago, virtually all of northern and southern Jersey were classified as either “abnormally dry” or “moderate drought” — almost two-thirds…
Read more »
Deaths from Illinois dust storm crash rise to 7The severity of the highway crash made identifying remains difficult and state police said,'what was previously believed to be the remains of one individual was two.'
Read more »
Illinois Dust Storm Explained - Videos from The Weather ChannelMeteorologist Ari Sarsalari explains how the Illinois dust storm happened. - Videos from The Weather Channel | weather.com
Read more »
New details released about victims in deadly I-55 crash caused by dust stormNew details have been released about the victims of a deadly Interstate 55 pile-up near Springfield that occurred earlier this week.
Read more »
The epic journey of dust in the wind often ends with happy planktonA dust particle can go on a great voyage. It starts on land; it continues in the air, and the saga might end with a fall into seawater thousands of miles from where it began.
Read more »
'Localized' Illinois dust storms fueled by rare chain of weather eventsThough unusual, Illinois dust storms like the one Monday that caused a fatal pileup, are most common in May and June.
Read more »