On the Road: Dust Storms

Arizona Dust Storm (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Usually I do not pay much attention to high wind warnings when I am using the Weather Channel Weekly Planner to check weather conditions for my trip. That changed a couple years ago when I had the opportunity to go through a dust storm in Arizona. I have driven through many types of severe weather situations, but this one was really terrifying.

As I was driving east I saw the dust storm ahead, but I thought it was just some dust blowing across the road. When I drove into the storm, I saw conditions go from day to night. An RV was in front of me, so I just kept watching his tail lights and maintaining a safe distance. Then the sirens started blaring. The Highway Patrol was shutting down the interstate.

The experience really upset me and I got off the interstate at the next exit. I pulled into the parking lot and tried to get out of the car. The wind was so intense that I could not open the door. I had to pull the car around in the opposite direction so I could open the driver's side door and get out of the car! That was an extremely scary situation that I do not want to encounter again. Now when I see the blue area on the weather map, I pay attention to it!!