National Weather Service meteorologist Charles Aldrich in Lubbock, Texas said a wall of dust as tall as 1,000 feet and 200 miles wide has roared across parts of West Texas and New Mexico. Here are some awesome photos ... none taken by me ... I was out in the storm trying to hold my van on the highway as I tried to get home from my daughter's apartment across town. I hate driving in wind storms. I know this is a long post but don't miss the photos below.
NewsChannel10 shared US National Weather Service Amarillo Texas's photo.
Ever wondered what a dust storm looks like from above? This was taken from a plane northwest of Amarillo yesterday. What
an incredible photo taken from a plane at 38,000 feet of the dust storm
that rolled through the city of Amarillo last night. Even though that
wind was howling and the dust was a nuisance, this photo captures the
beauty from above! Enjoy. -Mack
The news said there were 3 wildfires in our area yesterday... here is one... 
Amarillo Globe-News
A fire near Borger has consumed a Panhandle Northern Railroad trestle ...
16 acres burned in Palo Duro Canyon when a hiker tried
using a camp stove in the dry canyon (no photo of the fire there -- this is
Palo Duro Canyon on a better day). The canyon was closed to visitors for over 24 hours while
fire fighters battled the blaze and almost 400 people in the canyon had to be evacuated. It is spring break week and a lot of campers down there. Fighting the fire was difficult since there is no water down there. Crews had to take in bladders of water and hand tools to fight the fire, with wind gusting up to 65 mph. If you have never been to Palo Duro Canyon it is a beautiful place. You are driving along the flat earth on the Texas plains and then suddenly there is this "grand" canyon. Not as big as Arizona's but still a breathtaking sight. It is 60 miles long, 6 miles wide, and 820 feet deep.
using a camp stove in the dry canyon (no photo of the fire there -- this is
Palo Duro Canyon on a better day). The canyon was closed to visitors for over 24 hours while
fire fighters battled the blaze and almost 400 people in the canyon had to be evacuated. It is spring break week and a lot of campers down there. Fighting the fire was difficult since there is no water down there. Crews had to take in bladders of water and hand tools to fight the fire, with wind gusting up to 65 mph. If you have never been to Palo Duro Canyon it is a beautiful place. You are driving along the flat earth on the Texas plains and then suddenly there is this "grand" canyon. Not as big as Arizona's but still a breathtaking sight. It is 60 miles long, 6 miles wide, and 820 feet deep.
Photo: Bob Owen, San Antonio Express-News
My sister lives 110 miles from me in Tucumcari, NM. The same wind blew in a dust storm there as well. James Lout took these photos of the Tucumcari Dust Storm. It's amazing when you can stare at the sun and it looks more like the moon due to all the dirt in the air.
I have never been to Texas and my only experience with dust storm is having read Grapes of Wrath. Wildfire season makes our 'mud season' sound not so bad, but spring cleaning must be a universal phenomenon.
ReplyDeleteI have only lived in this part of the world...west Texas and eastern NM, so dust storms are "normal" to me. Dust storms are as frequent here as rain in the NW, I imagine. The wind blows constantly. Wildfires really scare me. They move really fast with the wind blowing. It is so dry here it is easy for a wildfire to start and spread quickly. I live on the northernmost part of town and last year a wildfire came within 9/10's of a mile from my house. I don't remember how many homes were lost last year alone, but a lot. Then we always have several big hailstorms each year and tornadoes. Other than that, the weather is beautiful! Sunny and blue skies.
DeleteI saw those dust storms in the TV series about the Dust Bowl. Hard to imagine much less live through. I'm like you, fires scare me and with those winds--mercy!! It take a hardy person to accept those conditions as normal.
ReplyDeleteLOL! Hardy, or we just don't know any better! I was well into adulthood before I found it the wind doesn't blow like this everywhere. It is just normal here.
DeleteI saw news films of huge dust storms in Arizona last year. Yours look the same. I can't imagine living with that. We have wild fires here in the late summer, usually forest fires after out summer drought. As people build more and more into the wild areas, more homes are lost each year.
ReplyDeleteMy son...the one that moved to your city..says he does not miss these dust storms at all!!! We rarely get rain and when we do it is a furious storm. He tells me Seattle gets gentle drizzle, not angry storms like here.
DeleteI lived in Midland, TX years ago and experienced more of those dust storms than I care to remember. I don't remember any wildfires there but we have way too many of those here in Colorado.
ReplyDeleteI bet you don't miss those dust storms. We had 2 more wildfires in our area. I know you guys have awful wildfires. Fire just scares me to death since it can change direction in a moment and move really fast.
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