Haboob preparation can save your life. Let me explain. The haboob has not only eaten up the city of Phoenix several times during the last few years. It seems to have an insatiable appetite as it spreads clear across the valley swallowing up the homes and businesses…

Enter in the Haboob!

A what? What is it you might ask. A haboob is one gigantic dust storm that brings impending dangers to the valley. Take a look at what Wikipedia has to say about the haboob:

“A haboob (Arabic:”?????”, “strong wind”) is a type of intense duststorm commonly observed in arid regions throughout the world. They have been observed in the Sahara desert (typically Sudan), as well as across the Arabian Peninsula, throughout Kuwait, and in the most arid regions of Iraq.[1] The arid and semiarid regions of North America – in fact, any dryland region – may experience haboobs. In the USA, they are frequently observed in the deserts of Arizona, including Yuma and Phoenix,[2][3] as well as New Mexico and Texas.[4]”

Like some unknown monster, the haboob is not picky when it comes to feeding itself. It brings extreme dangers as it satiates its healthy appetite. Sounds to me like haboob preparation would be a good option, doesn’t it?

Is Every Dust Storm a Haboob?

So what do you think? Is every dust storm a haboob? Or, is every one a dust storm?

According to WeatherNation,

Comments such as, “this is not a Haboob” and, “IT IS A DUST STORM. Haboob is what it is called in the middle east countries” were posted. But who is right?

The dictionary definitions of the words are very similar:

Haboob: “A violent and oppressive wind blowing in summer, especially in Sudan, bringing sand from the desert.”

Sandstorm: “A windstorm especially in a desert, that blows along great clouds of sand.”

Dust storm: “A storm of strong winds and dust-filled air over an extensive area during a period of drought over normally arable land.”

The difference between a sand storm, and haboob all comes down to the area covered. A Haboob is localized, and is caused by strong thunderstorm winds, which can lift dust as high as 5,000 feet. A dust storm covers a much larger area, and blows across the lowest few feet of the landscape. Calling sand storms in the southwest, Haboobs, is nothing new. Arizona dust storms were called Haboobs as far back as the October 1972 issue of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society

Haboob Preparation Can Save Your Life!

1.  Stop driving your car.

If you have ended up in a haboob because you were driving, here are some healthy hints from the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) for haboob preparation:

• • NEVER stop in the middle of the road.
  • Pull off the road and TURN OFF your lights.
  • Run over tumbleweeds. They can’t hurt your car.

(Sorry ADOT, Prepare to Bug In disagrees with this statement. I can’t tell you how many times that tumbleweeds have caught fire when someone ran over one. Our recommendation is that you avoid them if you can safely do so.)

• If pulled over, activate emergency brake and remove foot off of your brake pedal.

If you’re driving, your vision will be limited to the point of not being able to see. The dust storm of July 5, 2011, was 50 miles wide. You couldn’t see any further than your nose (or your vehicle’s nose, and heaven help you if you were on a motorcycle!).

2.  Stay indoors.

Especially if you are sensitive to allergens like dust, you will want to stay indoors as much as possible. Why? It is because there is an abundance of DUST. In addition, with as many haboobs as we’ve seen over the years, Valley Fever is sure to be on the increase. So what does that mean for your pets? We suggest you keep them inside too. If you’re in an area where there has been a recent dust storm, make sure to change your heating and cooling filter as soon as possible.

3.  Hold on to your hat!

While the winds for the Phoenix haboob of July 5th had winds that were thought to be about 60 miles per hour (mph), winds can get up to 100 mph. That amount of wind can topple power poles or snap them in half like sticks, throw semis over on their sides, cause extensive property damage and uproot trees.

No matter whether you just call it a huge dust storm, a sandstorm or a haboob, the reality is clear. They are nasty and sometimes are deadly. What more reason do you need for why haboob preparation is essential? Enough said!
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Pam Lokker is a master writer and a virtual assistant professional who enjoys writing. While we are not currently taking on new clients, Borlok Virtual Assistants, LLC has been the place to get global expert VA services with quality and on-time delivery for many years.