tagged w/ dust storm
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Maybe they could blame their strange behavior on the very high heat rolling across their state, if only the rightwingers there didn’t regularly deny it to result from global warming.
But some residents of Arizona, in their latest of fascist fear responses, are objecting to local media’s use of the term “haboob” in recent weather reports.
Haboob, a term for a specific type of sandstorm, is derived from Arabic.
Its origin is not just pertinent to a regional language, however, according to some folks in the state. “Haboob” is … Middle Eastern, according to a resident from Gilbert, who told of his objection to the term in a letter to the editor.
And you wanna know another interesting fact on this topic? “Haboob” isn’t the only word of Arabic origin frequently used in the United States, either.
Just fish the almanac out of your alcove to verify the historic occurrence of those haboobs striking the adobe style homes in Arizona. Those terms are Arabic, after all.
If you’re a closet meteorologist attempting to use algebra and algorithms to determine when another storm might strike, you’re using Arabic then, too.
You’ll have to skip the sugar from your coffee and the syrup from any candy, if Arabic words bother you so much, and refrain from eating any artichoke, apricot, lemon, lime or orange, too. Those are all Arabic (… I mean, “Middle Eastern!”) words.
Protest near the gazelles and giraffes at your local zoo; cancel all your magazine subscriptions; throw the saffron and tarragon from your spice cabinet; scrape those sesame seeds from the bun of your Big Mac; yank your children from chemistry class; put the cork back in your carafe of wine; remove the sequins from your wife’s satin dresses; and burn all of your own clothing made of cotton.
If this Arabic word usage in the country, not to mention its long and lengthy contributions to the English language, still bothers you so much, then maybe you’d like to step down from your patriotic rank of Admiral, only to become an assassin after robbing the arsenal to load up your .22 caliber rifle. Yeah, those are Arabic terms, too, pal.Maybe they could blame their strange behavior on the very high heat rolling across... more
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A monstrous dust storm roared through Phoenix, Arizona on Tuesday night, delaying flights and causing power outages for thousands of people.
The AP reports that the massive dust cloud, also known as a " haboob ," was around 5,000 feet when it arrived in Phoenix , but radar data reveals that it reached heights anywhere from 8,000 to 10,000 feet high prior. The storm appeared to be around 50 miles wide in some areas, KSAZ-TV reported. The dust storm originated in Tucson, and was a part...A monstrous dust storm roared through Phoenix, Arizona on Tuesday night, delaying... more
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A monstrous dust storm roared through Phoenix, Arizona on Tuesday night, delaying flights and causing power outages for thousands of people.
The AP reports that the massive dust cloud, also known as a " haboob ," was around 5,000 feet when it arrived in Phoenix , but radar data reveals that it reached heights anywhere from 8,000 to 10,000 feet high prior. The storm appeared to be around 50 miles wide in some areas, KSAZ-TV reported. The dust storm originated in Tucson, and was a part...A monstrous dust storm roared through Phoenix, Arizona on Tuesday night, delaying... more
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PHOENIX — The air around the Phoenix area was a hazy shade of brown and a layer of dirt coated cars and buildings Wednesday following a massive dust storm overnight that was up to 50 miles wide.
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..The huge dust wall that crossed the metro Phoenix area drastically reduced visibility, halting all flights coming in and out of Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport Tuesday night.
Flights returned to normal on Wednesday after a few were canceled, some were diverted to other airports and a dozen were delayed, said airport spokeswoman Julie Rodriguez.
A barrage of dust set off fire alarms in the terminal but crews quickly cleared the mess from the storm, known as a "haboob," she said.
Winds ripped up trees, tossed around lawn furniture and caused hazardous driving conditions.
The storm knocked out power to about 9,400 Salt River Project electric customers, The Arizona Republic reported.
The National Weather Service said strong winds with gusts of more than 60 miles per hour moved the dust cloud northwest through Phoenix and the cities of Avondale, Tempe and Scottsdale.
Wednesday morning, the white roof over Chase Field, the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks and the venue for next week's Major League Baseball All Star Game, was coated with thick, brown dust.
The National Weather Service in Phoenix said there is a slight chance of thunderstorms Wednesday evening including blowing dust.
Joshua Lott / Reuters
Motorists drive along 16th Street in Phoeniz, Ariz., during a dust storm on Tuesday. Tuesday's storm was part of Arizona's monsoon season, which typically starts in mid-June and lasts through September.
The dust cloud that moved across the Phoenix valley had formed in an afternoon storm in the Tucson area, and then rolled north across the desert before sweeping over the city like an enormous wave, said National Weather Service meteorologist Paul Iniguez.
Radar data showed the storm's towering dust wall had reached as high as 8,000 to 10,000 feet, or nearly 2 miles, he said.
"This was pretty significant," Iniguez said. "We heard from a lot of people who lived here for a number of storms and this was the worst they'd seen."
By the time the dust cloud neared the metropolitan area, it had started to dissolve but it still towered over the city with a wall of at least 5,000 feet, according to the weather service.
KSAZ-TV in Phoenix reported the storm appeared to be roughly 50 miles wide in some spots, and it briefly blanketed the city's downtown at around nightfall.
Phoenix's fire department received 720 emergency phone calls during the dust storm and fire crews handled over 320 incidents during the same time period, NBC News reported.
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..The Arizona Republic reported winds also downed live wires in Tempe that sparked a fire at a busy intersection. Firefighters later extinguished the blaze.
'Grit in your teeth'
A woman in Phoenix, who had parked in a lot to escape the storm, told TV station KTVK, in a video posted on its website Azfamily.com, that she had never seen a storm like it in the 20 years she has lived in the area.
"The grit in your teeth right now ... I just hear crunching," she added. "It is amazing (the storm). It's the most amazing thing I have ever felt in my life."
The Associated Press, Reuters and NBC News contributed to this report.PHOENIX — The air around the Phoenix area was a hazy shade of brown and a layer... more
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Wow, that's some scary ish. Trippy but very cool! I bet the local auto parts dealers had a run on air cleaners after that storm was over.
A massive dust storm enveloped areas of Arizona on Tuesday night, causing low visibility and delaying flights in and out of the state's largest airport. Colossal dust storm engulfs Phoenix suburbs, towering over skyscrapers, a 50-mile wide wall of dust sweeps over Phoenix, Arizona at speeds of 70mph.Wow, that's some scary ish. Trippy but very cool! I bet the local auto parts... more
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Spooky video of an outback dust storm that swept across eastern Australia and blanketed Sydney on Wednesday (September 23), disrupting transport and placing health authorities on alert for widespread respiratory illness.
Sydney Hit By Red Dust Storm: Raw Video
The storm is estimated to carry about 5 million tons of dust and is expected to continue until tomorrow. Australia is suffering a severe drought which has helped this phenomenon to move from inland, where it is more common, to the Sydney area.
Is it climate change related? According to the Washington Post:
The country is one of the most vulnerable nations to climate change, but also the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitter per capita as it relies on coal-fired power stations for the bulk of its electricity.
Scientists are reluctant to directly link climate change with extreme weather events such as storms and drought, saying these fluctuate according to atmospheric conditions, but green groups link the two in their calls for action.
If you're down in Sydney - tell us how things are over here on Current News.
Other must-watch raw videos:
- World's Smallest Girl in India: Raw Video
- Jellyfish Swarm Spain: Raw VideoSpooky video of an outback dust storm that swept across eastern Australia and... more
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A developing storm system in the West that is poised to produce a major and disruptive Winter Storm in the Central United States and possible severe weather in the South contributed to a deadly and blinding Dust Storm near Casa Grande, Arizona.A developing storm system in the West that is poised to produce a major and disruptive... more
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