What is a haboob? It is derived from the Sudan, and is an Arabic word meaning violent wind storm. There are three places on the planet that experience haboobs, Sahara Desert, parts of the Middle East , and Arizona. Monsoon winds and rains come to Arizona from June 15- September 30.
In a large haboob, the wall of dust blown up by the howling over 60 MPH winds can be hundreds of feet high. Last week in the Phoenix area there was a very large haboob. They always make the national news.
Flights were canceled causing flying delays all over the country, power was knocked out, and many swimming pools became mud pits!
I was caught in a haboob when I live in the Phoenix area and my car was covered in mud like this one after I drove through the sand, and rain! I had no idea what was going on at the time!
This video was taken in Gilbert Arizona and I chose it from the ones listed on YouTube because the neighborhood looks identical to my son’s. But come to think of it, it looks like lots of neighborhoods in Gilbert and other Phoenix bedroom communities in the Valley of the Sun !
Have you heard of this weather phenomenon? Have you seen or witnessed a haboob or other large storm ?
images from Public Domain
TalesAlongTheWay 
yipes!
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Pretty frightful!
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definitely
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No never, dangerous but fascinating on pics. 🙂
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People in AZ take them seriously. They can be very destructive !
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Wow! It’s a new one to me..
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It was to me when I first went to AZ. . . . frightful sight!
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It looks very scary
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YIKES. I have not experienced this particular phenomenon. A couple of years ago, though, my family experienced the most amazing red dust storm in Utah while on a long cross-country drive. Once back home, everyone agreed that the dust storm was the most remarkable thing we saw on the whole fantastic journey. Thanks for the excellent post.
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Seeing such beauty and strength is quite a sight. You will never forget it , I am sure.
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Wow ! The forces and beauty of nature … Thank you for sharing !
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Yes, beauty and force coming together and making us realize how fragile we are!
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Made me think of habibi which is an Arabic term of endearment, the complete opposite to haboob!!
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Interesting. . . thanks.
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It’s habibi for a male, and habibti for a female
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Are you fluent in Arabic from your time in Dubai?
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Sadly not, I only have a smattering of words. I odd arabic lessons at school but only for two terms
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Bummer
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*did
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Lose languages quickly if you don’t use them, right?
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Yes 🙂
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That looks very scary to see in real life.
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I have never seen one of the huge storms but the smaller ones are very scary with a giant wall of sands walking everything in sight!
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I have never seen one of the HUGE ones in real life, but the picture was scary enough for me!
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That looks insane! Do they often happen in Phoenix?
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The monsoon comes every summer where 1/2 of the yearly rain comes . I have only seen small ones which were scary enough. To answer your question , yes, there are Haboobs that happen most years,but in varying sizes.
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Only in pictures. Don’t think I’d live there if I had gone thru it.
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Lots of people feel that way about tornadoes and hurricanes , too.
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Granted, but at least here in Florida we get plenty of warning on the hurricanes and “tornado alley” is north of me. (Thank goodness!)
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Point well taken ! 😎
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Experienced this in Iraq and Afghanistan (without the mud)–day turns to night…
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