Haboobs really suck....we rarely get 'em in the Kalifornia desert, but they blow through every few years -- driving in one would be identical to a thick fogbank, but your car's windshield and paintjob are likely to suffer eternal damage from the wind/sand blowing.
They're also unusual in New Mexico, but the entirety of the state's southern route via I-10 has frequent signage warning of the possibility of "blowing sand and dust".