The Phoenix Dust Bowl or, Another One Bites the Dust
July 6th, 2011
I couldn't decide what to name this blog. I always liked the name "Dust Bowl" since this historical event is could also be confused by many as a college football bowl game, when in reality was an event that devastated the Midwest and the entire country, mostly occurring in the Great Plains region of the United States, centering in the panhandle of Texas and Oklahoma in the 1930s. (For more information on the Dust Bowl - check this out!) So for all those out there hoping for another bowl game to add to your holiday repertoire of televised football frenzy, Phoenix has not added a bowl game. While an appropriately named new addition to the Arizona bowl games, we already have the aptly named and self-explanatory Insight.com Bowl and the infamous Fiesta Bowl, corrupting politicians all over the state. On the other hand, who doesn't already have the famous Queen song ringing through their heads? I digress...Phoenix, Arizona made national news today because of a massive cloud of dust that wafted through the city. Actually, it blasted its way through, but billowed, wafted and cascaded are all words so seldom used these days. This splendid wall of dust was reported to have stretched approximately 4,000 to 5,000 feet in the sky and about 70 miles wide at one point. Winds on the ground reached 50 mph, leaving snapped trees and power lines in its wake. With its own "black blizzard," the Phoenix Metro area saw day turn to night in a matter of minutes.
So what is all the big Haboob? These are pictures from the dust storm from last night (July 5th, 2011). Mind you that dust storms are quite common this time of year in the Valley of the Sun, and having not been there for this last one, either it was a slow national news day, or this was beyond our normal. I will side with the latter assumption since I am always out of town for the good stuff!
I also added a couple pictures from the Dust Bowl to prove it is not a football game and to show the astonishing similarities.
