I live at the top of the only skyscraper in town, and seeing dust storms and haboobs from that vantage point is pretty wild! Buildings, parks, cars, and everything else simply disappear, and you’re looking out at nothing but dirt. It’s crazy. I had a friend over yesterday when the dirt storm hit Lubbock, and they were mesmerized, staring out my window, watching the city vanish before their eyes.
So, what causes a haboob?
Haboobs, or huge dust storms, are caused by down drafts after thunderstorms. Cold down drafts are far denser and blow out ahead of the storm. When this outflow occurs, sometimes, it picks up dust. Not just a little dust- a lot of dust. With this portion of Texas being as dry as it is, we’re bound to see a few haboobs a year…