One morning I turned on the radio and was greeted with this warning:
"A haboob is headed our way from the Lubbock area and should arrive within an hour!"
I alternated between acute ignorance and mounting consternation.
What the hell is a haboob?
Should I prepare to run?
What should I wear?
Do I have time to Google?
I Googled.
A haboob is a violently oppressive dust storm, derived from the Arabic word habb, meaning to blow.
Dust storms are extremely frequent in West Texas and wind is eternal. Haboobs are merely bigger, dustier, and more dramatic.
Here are some photos I took in West
Texas during an "average" dust storm.
My Texas back yard
Taken from a bedroom window
So why am I writing this?
A few days ago a huge Sahara dust storm blew from the west coast of Africa and traveled on east to west winds 5,000 miles across the ocean.
It is presently sprinkling dust and pollution on many states here in the U.S.
Friday and Saturday were hazy and rather dusty here in rural Tennessee. In Texas the dust often yields spectacular sunsets.
Last Friday evening the sunset was fairly impressive in my neck of the woods.
Naturally, I grabbed my El Cheapo camera and went out on the front porch.
Unfortunately, all the trees are in the way but I still got a few good shots.
As I'm writing this post there's a huge thunderstorm raging, which I assume will settle all the dust.
I'm sorry that I didn't reply to your comments on my previous WINE post, but I appreciated your input!
Wow, I hate dust, but it does create beautiful colors! I had never heard that term either. We get a lot of wild fire smoke in WA every summer, and although it creates gorgeous sunsets, it makes for unbreathable air some days. Since I hate staying inside, that's rough on me.
ReplyDeleteWest Texas was an extremely dusty place, with such an arid climate. I was really surprised that there is dust here in TN - with all the rain and mud. My house gets really dusty and I can't figure out why.
DeleteSouthern California gets a lot of smoke from wildfires - especially in summer and autumn.
"El-Cheapo" or not, I'm loving these photos! It almost looks like professional news footage of a wildfire. In spite of having lived in West Texas (Abilene), I never heard of a haboob until I moved to Phoenix. We just used to look at the horizon and comment, "Lubbock's coming."
ReplyDeleteMy El Cheapo is actually a Kodak Easy Share, which must be at least 15 years old. It still takes fairly decent pictures. I'm not too familiar with Abilene but I've been there a few times. My eye surgeon was located there.
DeleteI loved my Kodak EasyShare and it took great photos! Better than most of the cameras I've gotten after it.
DeleteJon- love the pics! Thanks for sharing them. I'm like you- I think the rain is going to settle the incoming "dust storm". This weather is something else, just like this whole year has been. Quite frankly- I'm ready for the world to stop and let me off. Have a good night my friend!
ReplyDeleteIt's been raining here ever since I took those photos - and the dust has definitely settled. 2020 is one of the most bizarre years I can remember (and it's not over yet). I'd love to write all my opinions about it, but I'll scare away the nervous Nellies(*smile*).
DeleteI agree - - I'm ready to escape from humanity.
I am starting to really think Mother Nature is not a very happy lady right now.
ReplyDeleteMother Nature is behaving very erratically and I think her temper is showing. I just wish she'd stop raining on TN.
DeleteThose sunset pictures are amazing, Jon. As I read this post I listened to rain and winds and wished I was elsewhere. Isn't nature a beautiful thing, though?
ReplyDeleteThere is beauty in almost every aspect of nature - along with many surprises. The dust storm has passed, and now the endless rain has returned. It's been foggy every evening and reminds me of autumn.
DeleteTake care - and hugs to you and Charlie.
I hadn't heard the term until this one that blew across the ocean.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous sunsets! Hopefully the rain will settle a lot of that dust! :)
It's really amazing that these dust storms can travel thousands of miles across an ocean - and still remain dusty!
DeleteWell, the rain has returned here in TN and it's supposedly going to be rainy all week.
I hope your weather is dry and dust-free! Hugs to Annie.
I've leaned a new term today, thanks to you Jon. Those dust storms are not expected to reach as far as NH, but after seeing those sunsets I think I'm missing some great photo opps! Hope there isn't too much damage in your area becvause you really don't need any more misery, do you?
ReplyDeleteI think that the southern states were the most effected - and all that Tennessee got was some haze and dust. The sunset was spectacular and I'm glad that it didn't rain until the next day (we're presently having a very rainy week).
Delete"Haboob" is a funny word, but the storms are really intense and often frightening.
Ah HA! Couple days ago, the sunset was similar to yours. I thought it was the sun setting below the clouds. Sometimes it turns the buildings in the neighborhood a purple/pink/orange color just after sundown. It is creepy, strange and oddly alluring all at the same time. Perhaps it was a dust cloud refracting sunlight. Don't know, but it sure looks similar to your pics.
ReplyDeleteI would have never known about this latest haboob, but they happened to mention it on the Weather Channel. Fortunately it didn't rain so I was able to see the sunset. It began raining again the next day and hasn't stopped since.
Delete