Oklahoma Dust Storm

This is an image which shows the dust storm was so dense that it was able to be identified from a high resolution satellite

This image shows visibility range though the dust clouds

On Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012 a dust storm in Northern Oklahoma caused a multi-car accident and an 8 mile stretch of interstate 35 to be shut down. Visibility ranged less than 10 feet which lead to an accident involving nearly 3 dozen cars and tractor-trailers. Nine people were injured in the accident but no fatal injuries were sustained. This dust storm was caused by a mixture of several events, the main one being the drought our country has been experiencing this year, along with loose soils and high winds. Farmers are preparing for their winter harvest of wheat which involves loosening the top soil of their fields. With the drought the soils are so dry and with the top solid being loose it’s almost like a powder consistency. Combine these two elements with high wind speeds, like the ones experienced in Okalahoma and you have the perfect mixture for a dust storm.

This is an image of an accident that was caused by the low visibility from the dust