Southwestern US Dust Storms

[Bob_Roller]

Don't know if any  other members here have seen videos of the dust storm (haboob) that came through the Phoenix metro area yesterday about 7 pm , ahead of a complex of thunder storms. I was at work when the dust storm hit, and if you have never been in one, it's amazing that the visibility can drop from 50 + miles to 10 feet in 5 seconds. After I finally got out of work at 2:30 am ( I started at 6 am !) I was greeted by a motorcycle that looked like it would be more at home in Rommel's 'Afrika Corps', my  atlanta blue oilhead, looked more like desert warfare camouflage brown, all I needed was a white palm tree stencil on the fuel tank to make it complete!

[msbuck]

I saw the video on the news.  WOW!    Is all I can say.  Can't imagine having one of those pass through.  So do you just dust off the seat and let the ride home take care of the rest or do you have a major clean-up job ahead of you?

[Bob_Roller]

You have to wash it pretty good, as there is usually just enough rain behind the dust storm to turn it to 'adobe' , but not enough to wash it off. It looks even worse if you have a dark colored vehicle.

[Justin B.]

West Texas occasionally blows in here (not as bad as you had it) and the next day your vehicle looks like mud rained on it!  Hadn't rained to speak of all week so yesterday and today I rode to work and this evening I got rained on (off and on) all the way home!  Have I ever mentioned that I hate riding in the rain...  

[NC Steve]

I lived in El Paso as a kid, and remember a couple times when the huge sand storms would blow thru. Visibility down to nearly zero, other than the tumbleweeds hitting the windows. My mom would wet rolled towels to put under the doors and windows, and sand & dust would still get into the house.
You pretty much had to have a garage too, or otherwise your car might well get sandblasted...

[thrang]

Saw the footage on Sky News, wow I'd not like to be out on the bike in one of them!

[MrRiden]

We had an even larger one last night followed by a heavy "blood rain". The pool looks like a swamp and the patio a sandbox. I's all going to sit for a while however. I've finally gotten to sawing off the old stuck exhaust nut, removed the pipes & silencers so all can be painted today.
rich

[Bob_Roller]

I got caught in one the first summer I was here in Phoenix ( '94), I was 40 miles west of Gila Bend,Arizona on Interstate 8, with no place to hide, or any shelter what so ever from  the storm. I learned a valuable lesson about the 'monsoon season' in the southwest that day.  I check the Weather Channel before I go anywhere on the bike now.