Duststorm Causes Pileup in Texas; 1 Dead

[jasons2k]

I used the term duststorm in the topic title because the AP got it wrong. The Texas South Plains don't have sandstorms; they have duststorms. You have to go further west into New Mexico to experience sandstorms. On rare occasions they experience a sandstorm near El Paso, but nowhere else in Texas.

Jun 23, 2:11 AM EDT

Sandstorm Causes Pileup in Texas; 1 Dead

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) -- A sandstorm blinded drivers on a Texas Panhandle highway Thursday evening, causing a series of accidents that left one dead and 12 injured, authorities said.

Twenty-seven wrecks occurred in an 11-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 62/82 shortly after 5 p.m., said John Gonzalez, a spokesman for the Department of Public Safety.

"We had a domino effect," Gonzalez told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal in Friday editions. "We had crashes from the Hockley County line to five miles north of Brownfield."

James Brown, 71, of Lubbock, was killed when his car crashed into a tow truck that had stopped to assist with an accident, authorities said.

Twelve people involved in other wrecks were taken to area hospitals, but the extent of their injuries was unknown.

The National Weather Service reported wind gusts at 60 mph in Lubbock and 70 mph in other areas of the South Plains.

[weatherbee1982]

We had one here two days ago, 5 18-wheelers collided and explosions later ensued. Two died from the accident, and no one could see more than a few feet in front of them. This goes to show that people should pull to the right and turn off their lights in dust storms!

[bob rulz]

Turn OFF their lights?

[weatherbee1982]

Yes, turn off your head and taillights. That might seem counterintuitive, but if you leave your lights on during a dust storm, people will follow you (even if you are pulled off to the side of the road and sitting still).