In The Vortex

Category: Extreme Weather

All things Extreme Weather!

  • Phoenix Haboob!

    I just happened to catch this. An incredibly impressive haboob that nailed Phoenix, Arizona on Monday! Click the title to see the VIDEO!

     
    For those that don’t know, a Haboob is a term for an intense dust storm that is often very striking in appearance, as you can see from the above video. While these happen most often in desert climates (such as Arizona in the U.S.) they can happen in other areas as well, especially if most of the terrain is agriculture.

    Here are some tips from the Arizona Department of Transportation in dealing with one of these events should you ever encounter one.

    Quick Safety Tips:

    • Pull off the roadway
    • Stop
    • Turn off all vehicle lights
    • Set your emergency brake and take foot off the brake
    • Buckle up

    Guidelines for Traveling in Dust Storms:

    • NEVER stop in the travel lane
    • Travel at a speed suitable for limited visibility
    • If you can’t pull off the road, turn your LIGHTS ON
    • Sound your horn intermittently
    • Use the painted lane striping to guide you
    • If possible, look for a safe place to PULL OFF THE ROAD

    If you do pull off the road, observe the following safety tips:

    • Set your emergency brake
    • Take your foot off the brake pedal
    • Turn off all vehicle lights
    • Wait out the storm

    When returning to the pavement, be aware that the road may be slippery and in some cases, pavement markings may be obscured by sand and dust blown on the road. Rain frequently accompanies dust storms and will cause slippery conditions.

    Drive carefully.

  • Southern Plains Flooding

    It’s almost hard to believe that a year ago we were dealing with extreme drought and wildfires from MONTHS with near zero to absolute zero rainfall totals and some days with negative dewpoint figures. I am sure everyone has heard about the flooding in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. As devastating as it is…the water really WAS needed. Many lakes that were on the very of drying up or at least were on their last legs are now full and filling up again. Chasing this year I saw areas so green I almost couldn’t recognize them, perhaps greener than I have EVER seen them, especially in areas on and just off the Texas Caprock. I said at the beginning of winter that mother nature WOULD balance things out. She always does, even if we sometimes get in the way of her efforts.