Posted on 10/04/2011 3:29:34 PM PDT by yorkie
PINAL COUNTY, AZ (KPHO) - A dust storm has caused three major pileups on Interstate 10, killing one man.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety expects the number of people seriously injured to top 15.
The DPS says 22 vehicles were involved in the three crashes.
The first two crashes happened just after noon near Picacho, about midway between Phoenix and Tucson. Those collisions involved 16 vehicles, including tractor trailers.
DPS spokesman Bart Graves says two people involved in those collisions were "extremely critical" but the heavy dust prevented emergency crews from using helicopters to get them to the hospital.
The third pileup happened nearly two hours later and involved six vehicles. There were no fatalities. The seriousness of the injuries is unknown at this time.
(Excerpt) Read more at kpho.com ...
It looks like I-10 is going to be closed for some time.
I used to make that trip to Tucson every couple months - and when the dust starts blowing, it is blinding.
Prayers for those injured and the man who lost his life.
How in God's name could a solar farm operate with dust storms like these coming through on a regular basis?
Could you give us a link to the arial video? Thanks. My son lives in Tempe.
I'm sure the govt subsidy credits allow for a squad of illegals to come thru and wash 'em down every week or so, right?
A few weeks ago, we were watching the ASU football game on TV when one of these storms picked up. The cameras showed the dust above the stadium, but the people inside the stadium were completely unaware of it.
Where it says “Excerpt - read more at KPHO”. You may need to let it load, (it takes a minute or so, and there is an advertisement for a few seconds - then the video will start) and it is in the upper right hand corner of the page.
Dust is many times worse than fog.
We’re making that trip at least once a month, now.
When the sky is full of ground, it’s time to pull way over and shut your lights off.
The Flyboy tried to outrun one such storm two months ago, and failed. He and Piper spent about a half hour off the shoulder being buffeted by the wind.
I always worry - if I pull off the highway, (during a dust storm) and turn off my lights, a semi might rear-end me!
Thanks
I'm sure these geniuses thought of all those contingencies. I remember all those rivers and lakes dotting the landscape around southern Arizona....no I was thinking of Minnesota. /s
PING
(You can see the aerial video, if you click ‘excerpt’ under the original article posted.)
If you leave your lights on, drivers behind you are liable to think you’re still on the road and try to follow you - and plow right through you.
That's why you turn off your lights, so no one will try to 'follow' your parked car.;)
We ate dust for most of the afternoon here. Supposedly more coming this evening. Rain? Nary a drop!
Pinal Pioneer Parkway is the old road with occasional flood problems as I recall but less of it is through the farmland where dust and sand are too easily stirred up. Florence Junction to Florence had a lot of dips many years ago with flash flooding possible but they are fixed now, I believe.
I was at the ASU game last week when a haboob hit at night. There didn't seem to be much dust in the stadium, but afterwards, my friend's car, which had just been washed, was coated with dust.
Here is a you tube video (with scanner voice) of the 30 car pileup. (Looks like a lot of big rigs!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5mHS3jzn4w
I wrecked the first car I ever owned in a dust storm on that stretch of I-10 way back in the early 60’s. Fifty years later its still dangerous.
Its been really bad this year. Very little rain in Avra Valley. The top soil from the old cotton fields bought by Tucson, is blowing north. Most of the Picacho storms have been easily visible from Ina/I-10.
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