How a Haboob Can Cause Widespread Outages
Image courtesy of SD Anderson under CC0 1.0 Universal Deed, resized to 700 x 391 pixels.
I learned about a new weather phenomenon today – the haboob. Although not particularly common, when one does hit it can drop visibility down to zero and create all kinds of damage. Let’s take a closer look at this strange weather event that presents yet another consideration for emergency preparedness.
What Exactly is a Haboob?
A haboob is essentially a massive thunderstorm-caused dust storm. These dust storms can last for a couple of hours and can stretch thousands of feet high and up to 100 miles wide.
They’re created when cold air during a thunderstorm moves toward the ground and spreads after making surface-level contact. This, in turn, jacks up the wind speeds, and if the ground is dry, can trigger the phenomenon.
One of the most dangerous elements of this weather event, which most often forms in the arid southwest region of the U.S., is that it can form rapidly – usually within seconds. It’s usually possible to see one coming, but once it reaches you, it’s already too late to seek shelter. This is particularly hazardous for drivers, including utility drivers.
A haboob recently pounded Phoenix, featuring 70 MPH winds that took down trees and utility poles. It resulted in more than 60,000 customers losing power. So, yes, although you may have never heard of it, haboobs are real, and they are serious.
Luckily, this weather event is mainly a concern for utilities operating in desert climates as well as those operating in the midwestern dust bowl. And I would imagine climate change will likely exasperate the conditions necessary to trigger a haboob.
Therefore, if you are part of an electric utility operating in these types of areas, it’s critical to document this phenomenon – as well as any mitigation steps – in your storm restoration plan. Do not be caught with your proverbial pants down the next time a haboob rolls into the service territory!
