AccuWeather shared a series of clips Thursday of a huge dust storm that hit Texas earlier in the week, and wow, do these things have a silly name.
The dust storm struck the area around Roby, Texas, on Oct. 4, and coated the skies with a thick orange hue, according to AccuWeather. The extreme weather event was joined by a bunch of super duper thunderstorms. While I don’t like that people have to deal with such difficult weather, I do totally love the name given to dust storms …
Apparently, these large dust storms are called “haboobs,” and I haven’t stopped giggling since learning this.
Holy haboob! 😧 This large dust storm, also known as a haboob, was spotted in Texas yesterday amid severe thunderstorms. #TXwx pic.twitter.com/EZm9h5LwfK
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) October 5, 2023
The National Weather Service describes haboobs as occurring more prevalently throughout the southwestern U.S., but they can technically happen anywhere in the country. They’re caused by the outflow of thunderstorms that can churn up dirt, dust, and debris, drastically reducing visibility. (RELATED: Epic Video Shows Immense Impact Of Dust Storm)
When these things hit, advice is simple: try to avoid driving into it but going literally anywhere else. If you can’t avoid it, stop your vehicle on the side of the road and practice your patience while it passes over. In the absolute worst case scenario, drive slowly but keep all your lights on and hit your horn here and there to let others know you’re about.