Wednesday, July 06, 2011

Haboob

Some of you occasionally blog about the weather in your part of the world (except for my Canadian friends) (*snort*), and I don't say much about the desert, either. I mean, there's really nothing to say when the daily forecast is "sunny and hot," except during the two weeks of winter when the forecast changes to "sunny and a bit cooler."

Last evening, however, was an exception. We had a haboob, a super intense "dust" storm. Watch it roll into town in this silent time-lapse video.




That isn't dust, folks. It's plain old dirt, which has had a whole inch of rain to hold it down since the first of the year. The only good thing about the dirt haze today is that you can't see the pollution.

Haboobs occur during the monsoon, which is July and August. Normally, we have a dust blow followed by lightning, thunder, and a torrential rainstorm. When we first moved to the desert in 1997, the monsoons were spectacular. But no more. For the past five or six years, the rainclouds quickly dissipate because we Phoenicians have constructed a heat island made of cement and glass. It was 118º (F) the other day; the rain evaporates, the clouds break up, and we're shit out of luck for water.

Here is a still shot of the Haboob, which is an Arabic word:




Okay, that's enough about the weather—I've learned to keep it on the back burner from my friends in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec.

17 comments:

hope said...

I had no idea a dust storm had it's own name...until the Weather Channel informed me.  Over and over and over...

But I'll pretend I learned it from an expert: YOU!

savannah said...

incredible! it was like a scene from a movie, sugar! xoxoxo

Kid-at-heart said...

Saw that on the boobtube (that sounds like another Arabic word, but actually my father invented it in 1964).  I was hoping it hadn't buried you and Martha alive, and am extremely glad to have this evidence that you're both still with us.  I trust if it had buried Martha, but spared you, that you would have mentioned that.

TechnoBabe . said...

We keep tabs on the weather in Phoenix because my hubby grew up there and his brother is still there, just retired from 28 years teaching. So we did see the haboob on the news. Phoenix has been in the news lots lately.

Mind of a Madman said...

That is amazing! Crazy video! 

Adrienne Rodg said...

Hi, I was interested in knowing how people deal with this situation when this happens? does it go through closed windows? what about health wise? Has a haboob ever killed someone? Just curious in New York City. We deal with 4 seasons and every year it's pretty much the same stuff. My husband and I watch stuff about weather, nature, etc. and are awe struck when something happens in another part of the states. By the way, that's a great video.

Kim Ayres said...

Haboob is a new word for me - you continue to be an education to me, Charlie :)

Pat said...

Frightening!  That can't be good for you.  I hope the monsoons come and clear the air.

Charlie Callahan said...

Actually, I'm still kinda looking around for her, but I'm making progress. Irish is out on the patio right now digging away like a mad dog. I'll let you know when we find her.

Ponita said...

Are you sure it wasn't a pyroclastic cloud from a volcanic eruption?

Well, I suppose if you lived to blog about it, Phoenix did not turn into Pompei. You stayed inside, right? Breathing that crap is hard on the lungs... just sayin'.

I did learn the word haboob right here on your blog. I generally rarely watch the news on my tv, and almost never the US news, so heard nary a word until just now.

That's pretty impressive for a desert town... ;-)

Charlie Callahan said...

Are you called the question lady at home?

This was the worst dust storm in 28 years, so most of them are much tamer because the wind isn't nearly as strong. The best way to handle them is to stay inside or wear a mask. And yes, dust will blow through improperly sealed windows and doors—including our dog door. As far as deaths I would say yes, probably of the traffic kind when visibilty is four inches but people keep driving—especially truckers.

When I think of the deadly earthquakes, floods, tornados, and hurricanes, this was hardly a blip on the disaster screen. It was toughest on people who have respiratory problems.

Thanks for commenting, Adrienne.

lisleman said...

I got tired of watching the weather channel months ago.  After our blizzard, I figured we were good to go for the year.  I'm glad you posted this.  I did not know this happened.  Anyone selling Haboob dirt yet?  Like your other reader said - it looks like a special effects scene from a movie.

Murr Brewster said...

I heard about your big haboob just this morning, and vowed to glorify it with a blog post. I still probably will, but jeez Louise, I should have some respect, huh? Damn.

barbara said...

Can I just say how much I love the word haboob?  I am going to try to work it into every possible conversation today.  

But regardless of how fun the word is, I would not want to experience one.  Brutal!

FAY said...

Seriously. . . . HABOOB?  Did you consider that if you run that video backward it would be a BOOBAH?
That looks plenty scary to me down here in SC.  We just have heat and humididity of about a gazillion percent.  Oh. . . and the occassional windstorm like the one that blew a hundred-year-old oak on my house a couple of weeks ago. 
Go well,Friend, and close the winows.

Robert Neary said...

We just have muddy seasons versus mudslide seasons here in Oregon.

Bibliophilebythesea said...

Unbelievable! This weather EVERYWHERE has been crazy, and yet some deny global warming.

Hope you are having a good week Charlie!