Biggest Sahara dust storm in 50 years hits the US
This storm is breath-taking.
The massive Sahara dust cloud that caused air quality problems in the Caribbean hit the US for the first time Thursday, according to reports.
The dense dust plumes — which are big enough to be picked up via satellite images — struck Mississippi’s Gulf Coast after churning thousands of miles from the African desert, according to Jackson-based WJTV.
It also began to move through Florida, according to Fox 35 Orlando.
“This is the most significant event in the past 50 years,” said Pablo Méndez Lázaro, an environmental health specialist with the University of Puerto Rico, according to the outlet.
Nicknamed the “Gorilla Dust Cloud” for its stunning size, satellite images showed the storm darkening the sky and rolling northwest Thursday morning. It appeared to also be headed toward Louisiana and parts of Texas.
The highly concentrated plume caused air quality in the Caribbean to reach “hazardous” levels as it swept through the area Wednesday, experts said.
Health officials warned that the weather event could weaken the respiratory systems of people battling COVID-19, along with some healthy people. They recommended that residents in the impacted areas stay inside.
With Post wires