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Saturday, February 4, 2012

Dust, Dust, and More Dust

For the past week or so, Jeddah has experienced high winds which in turn have created horrible dust storms. These dust storms do a lot more than make your mouth feel gritty and spew a layer of fine dust all over everything.

Here in Jeddah, it can mean schools and shops closing, increased traffic accidents, and trees being uprooted and turned into missiles. The roads of Jeddah are dangerous enough on a normal day, but add poor visibility into the mix, and it’s a recipe for disaster.

The blowing dust has also wreaked havoc on my allergies – and I’m sure many others in Jeddah are suffering from this same problem.

Thunderstorms were also predicted which can cause severe flooding problems in some areas of the city. Luckily the rain that has fallen so far has not caused any serious problems.

For more information:

Jeddah Daily Photo Journal February 2009 post about Dust Storms

Jeddah Photo Blog's January 2012 post about Jeddah's Dust Storm, with many photos

Arab News article "Life disrupted as massive dust storm envelops Jeddah"
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7 comments:

  1. WendyFeb 4, 2012, 6:59:00 PM

    I will never forget my first haboob experience. It was kinda scary seeing all that thick dust rolling in. The scariest experience was sitting on the runway in Khartoum and the pilot anxious to get everyone on board to beat the haboob that was coming in. We got away just before it got too serious to leave. I did not complain about our west coast rain storms for a long while after that.

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  2. GaelynFeb 4, 2012, 8:23:00 PM

    Sure seems like a "little" rain would help hold down the dust but muddy flooding certainly could be bad. Hope your home is well sealed and you don't Have to go out.

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  3. bigstick1Feb 5, 2012, 2:39:00 AM

    I have hear the winds are pretty bad. Keep safe.

    Also curious how is being back in Saudi going? Just wondering.

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  4. bigstick1Feb 5, 2012, 2:39:00 AM

    I have hear the winds are pretty bad. Keep safe.

    Also curious how is being back in Saudi going? Just wondering.

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  5. NathalieFeb 10, 2012, 6:59:00 PM

    Good luck with your allergies Susie. I hope the dust storm abates soon.


    On the bright side, not being in the driver's seat gives you the opportunity to bring us great photos of the dusty streets - yes I know, I'm a pollyanna ! :)

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  6. JudyFeb 11, 2012, 1:17:00 AM

    Hmmm....looks like Phoenix!

    Glad to have you back at the blog, Susie. I missed you. Thanks for popping in to let me know!

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  7. ReginaFeb 18, 2012, 11:56:00 PM

    I hope your allergies subside. Thank you, these are great pictures! Hopefully, the accident rates drop as well.

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