topic Re: Haboobs in Community Chat

Haboobs

Kachina624 — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 08:09:14 GMT

We get plenty of dust and dirt in Albuquerque but nothing like this in Phoenix. You'd have to really love a place to put up with it.

We, as well as Denver, have been having terrible smoke from the California fires. Yesterday you couldn't see the 10,000 ft mountain that's right on the Eastern edge of town. People with respiratory issues were advised to stay

Inside.

Re: Haboobs

Goldengate8361 — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 11:00:48 GMT

Wow. That’s totally scary looking. Would freak me out.

Re: Haboobs

cherry — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 11:02:25 GMT

I had a friend that was out in a car ,when she was suddenly in one. She said it is scary

It seems like your paint job might get scratched up

Re: Haboobs

haddon9 — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 11:12:44 GMT

The first time I ever saw one on the news several years ago I couldn't believe it!!...a giant rolling dust cloud swallowing up everything it its path!! VERY scary and the headache cleaning up afterwards I can't even begin to image!

You have giant fires every year out west, hurricanes on the coast down south, tornadoes in the midwest, alligators in Fl and other southern states, these haboobs (and nasty desert creatures) in the desert states....I think I'll stay here in the northeast where the worst is an occasional blizzard. It's rare to see a scary creature and even more rare to have a terrible storm ...yes we did have super storm Sandy but it's so rare.

Re: Haboobs

OKPrincess — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 11:16:20 GMT

It is so scary looking. Besides covering you up with dust and dirt, do you feel anything? Does it shake your car? Again I would be terrified not being able to see.

Re: Haboobs

Meowingkitty — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 12:49:01 GMT

It’s just a wall of dust followed by rain sometimes. Yes it is scary if you are in the middle of it on the freeway but for those of us who live on the west side of town we don’t get the brunt of it. We get some but in a much lighter format. They start in the east valley picking up dust from the open areas. If you are on the freeway it is suggested you pull over and leave your lights off. It passes pretty quickly. We only get a few a year and it’s certainly better than earthquakes, fires, hurricanes and tornados.

Re: Haboobs

Ms tyrion2 — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 13:52:46 GMT

@Meowingkitty wrote:
It’s just a wall of dust followed by rain sometimes. Yes it is scary if you are in the middle of it on the freeway but for those of us who live on the west side of town we don’t get the brunt of it. We get some but in a much lighter format. They start in the east valley picking up dust from the open areas. If you are on the freeway it is suggested you pull over and leave your lights off. It passes pretty quickly. We only get a few a year and it’s certainly better than earthquakes, fires, hurricanes and tornados.

ITA.

Haboobs rarely make it to the area where I live. We get some regular blowing dust but usually rain follows.

I rarely see "scary creatures" unless you count quail, coyotes and the occasional bobcat or javelina. I've lived in AZ for nearly 45 years and only seen 2 scorpions and never a rattlesnake in the wild. I know they are here, but it is not a daily occurrence to see them.

I'll take this climate any day over tornados, blizzards and hurricanes.

Re: Haboobs

tucsongal — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 13:54:11 GMT

I believe Phoenix gets them because of their specific geography. I’ve never seen one.

Re: Haboobs

Kachina624 — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 15:38:11 GMT

@cherry wrote:
I had a friend that was out in a car ,when she was suddenly in one. She said it is scary

It seems like your paint job might get scratched up

@cherry. When we get ordinary dust storms in the spring, your face feels gritty and you can taste and feel it in your mouth. It's the worst in newly developed areas with loose dirt.

Re: Haboobs

Meowingkitty — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 15:38:51 GMT

@Ms tyrion2 wrote:
@Meowingkitty wrote:
It’s just a wall of dust followed by rain sometimes. Yes it is scary if you are in the middle of it on the freeway but for those of us who live on the west side of town we don’t get the brunt of it. We get some but in a much lighter format. They start in the east valley picking up dust from the open areas. If you are on the freeway it is suggested you pull over and leave your lights off. It passes pretty quickly. We only get a few a year and it’s certainly better than earthquakes, fires, hurricanes and tornados.

ITA.
Haboobs rarely make it to the area where I live. We get some regular blowing dust but usually rain follows.

I rarely see "scary creatures" unless you count quail, coyotes and the occasional bobcat or javelina. I've lived in AZ for nearly 45 years and only seen 2 scorpions and never a rattlesnake in the wild. I know they are here, but it is not a daily occurrence to see them.

I'll take this climate any day over tornados, blizzards and hurricanes.

You got me beat. I’ve lived here since the 60’s and have seen a few coyotes, and quail, never a Scorpion, snake or bobcat. It’s sure better than shoveling snow, worrying about fires, earthquakes etc. what’s a little dust? It blows away.

Re: Haboobs

seaBreeze — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 15:45:33 GMT

What does this do to the inside of your house, or car engine if parked outside?

My SIL lives in Phx. AZ with 110 degree temps. And she wants me to retire there .... this haboob occurrence might keep me back East.

Re: Haboobs

wagirl — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 16:33:11 GMT

those dust storms in Phoenix are a trip. Have friends living there and so far they have not lived in the path of one of those things, but everyone gets some of it. the dust is amazing and gets into everything. I couldn't live there either. thought I would move down there after the hubs retired in a few yers but I'm not going. too hot and not a fan of the politics. but during the few months it is cooler and calmer, it really is nice--I'll visit him during that time of year---maybe---

Re: Haboobs

sunala — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 16:33:17 GMT

@Meowingkitty wrote:
It’s just a wall of dust followed by rain sometimes. Yes it is scary if you are in the middle of it on the freeway but for those of us who live on the west side of town we don’t get the brunt of it. We get some but in a much lighter format. They start in the east valley picking up dust from the open areas. If you are on the freeway it is suggested you pull over and leave your lights off. It passes pretty quickly. We only get a few a year and it’s certainly better than earthquakes, fires, hurricanes and tornados.

@Meowingkitty- do we get a choice? They're all horrible!

Re: Haboobs

deeva — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 16:43:01 GMT

We live in Arizona, the haboobs only affect certain parts of the state. We’ve never had one in our area. As for wildlife, I see coyotes weekly. Have had javelinas, bobcats in our yard. Scorpions and rattlesnakes are part of living in the desert.

I’d rather deal with all of this instead of driving or walking on a sheet of ice or shoveling snow.

Re: Haboobs

lilypadfrog — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 20:52:01 GMT

National Weather Service said the haboob early this month (about Aug 1 or 2) was 70 miles wide and 1,000 feet high. And the monsoon this year has damaged so many trees.

Re: Haboobs

feline groovy — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 23:54:15 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
We get plenty of dust and dirt in Albuquerque but nothing like this in Phoenix. You'd have to really love a place to put up with it.

We, as well as Denver, have been having terrible smoke from the California fires. Yesterday you couldn't see the 10,000 ft mountain that's right on the Eastern edge of town. People with respiratory issues were advised to stay
Inside.

Read more about haboobs here.

@Kachina624: what about pets with respiratory issues that need to be walked?

Re: Haboobs

SilleeMee — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 23:56:18 GMT

@cherry wrote:
I had a friend that was out in a car ,when she was suddenly in one. She said it is scary

It seems like your paint job might get scratched up

I was IN one @cherry I was eating sand forever and my car never was the same after that.

Re: Haboobs

Meowingkitty — Wed, 22 Aug 2018 02:08:12 GMT

@seaBreeze wrote:
What does this do to the inside of your house, or car engine if parked outside?

My SIL lives in Phx. AZ with 110 degree temps. And she wants me to retire there .... this haboob occurrence might keep me back East.

It doesn’t affect the inside of my house. I do change the A/C filter a bit more frequently if we have one. As for cars, mine sits outside and it’s gets dusty and if it rains, muddy. That’s what car washes are for. We get the tail end of them where I live. They media hypes them up. They mostly affect the east valley (think Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, maybe parts of Scottsdale or downtown Phoenix) they happen only a few times a year and are over pretty quickly. Unlike snow storms that rust your car, last for weeks on end and are pretty miserable. It’s all part of living where you don’t have to wear a coat, gloves and boots and don’t have to shovel snow. We see people jogging, walking dogs, biking shortly after one. It’s no big deal.

Re: Haboobs

Ms tyrion2 — Wed, 22 Aug 2018 02:39:50 GMT

@SilleeMee wrote:
@cherry wrote:
I had a friend that was out in a car ,when she was suddenly in one. She said it is scary

It seems like your paint job might get scratched up

I was IN one @cherry I was eating sand forever and my car never was the same after that.

I live here and have never had trouble with my car. If I'm indoors or in my car with Windows up, there is no eating sand.

There is a lot of misunderstanding and hyperbole about these storms. They last a very short time (minutes) and you just use your common sense to ride them out.

Re: Haboobs

Kachina624 — Wed, 22 Aug 2018 03:56:12 GMT

@feline groovy wrote:
@Kachina624 wrote:
We get plenty of dust and dirt in Albuquerque but nothing like this in Phoenix. You'd have to really love a place to put up with it.

We, as well as Denver, have been having terrible smoke from the California fires. Yesterday you couldn't see the 10,000 ft mountain that's right on the Eastern edge of town. People with respiratory issues were advised to stay
Inside.

Read more about haboobs here.

@Kachina624: what about pets with respiratory issues that need to be walked?

@feline groovy. I guess the little darlings will have to wait until it settles down. Nobody in their right mind would go out in that mess.