17 Dust Storm Facts For Kids

1. A dust storm is a wall of loose dirt, sand and/or debris kicked up into the atmosphere by strong winds.
2. Dust storms are also known as sandstorms or haboobs.
3. Dust storms are usually created by strong winds from the gust front of a thunderstorm.
4. Dust storms can be several miles long and reach thousands of feet into the atmosphere.
5. Dust storms are very common in Northern Africa and the Middle East. They can occur anywhere in the world, especially in the Southwestern United Stated.
6. A dust storm can appear without warning and take people by surprise.
7. Dust storms are known to cause health hazards for humans and can cause damage to man-made objects.
8. A health person during a dust storm may experience respiratory issues, throat irritation, coughing, sneezing and itchy eyes and/or skin.
9. Anyone with asthma, emphysema, CPOD, etc. should avoid dust storms and stay inside during an on-going one. Dust storms can exasperate their symptoms.
10. Visibility is severely reduced during a dust storm and increase the risk of serious vehicular accidents and injuries.
11. Dust storms dramatically increase the debris in the air and can damage machines that have combustion engines.
12. The National Weather Service (NWS) tracks and monitors dust storms using GOES-R weather satellites.
13. The local NWS Forecast Office in your area will issue a dust storm warning if one is detected.
14. The Dust Bowl is used to describe a period in the 1930s marked by severe drought and dust storms. The prairies and farmland affected by the Dust Bowl were severely damaged. Poor agricultural practices in the 1930s help exacerbate the size and scope of dust storms during the Dust Bowl.
15. Black Sunday is the name of the worst dust storm in U.S. history that occurred on April 14th, 1935. The Black Sunday dust storm was estimated to have displaced 300,000 tons of dirt and topsoil. The storm caused the relocation of more than 100,000 people.
16. The 1991 Interstate 5 dust storm occurred near Coalinga, California on November 29th, 1991. This dust storm created the largest accident caused by a dust storm in California state history. The accident involved 104 vehicles, injured 150 people, and killed 17 people.
17. The 2009 Australian dust storm was one of the worst dust storms in Australia’s history. It occurred between September 22nd and 24th in 2009, affecting the Australian states of New South Wales and Queensland.

Dust Storm Pictures

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the below images will be helpful for your research on dust storms. Below are six pictures of dust storm conditions. These pictures should help better understand how dust storms can devastate an area they effect.

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