JonAndAshly
Posts:233
 | | 08/16/2007 9:04 PM |
 Alert | | We were stuck in a stand still on the 347 for 20 mintues and couldnt see 5 feet ahead! Worst dust storm I have ever seen. Thought we were going to die. All I could think about was the brilliant person who didnt turn their lights on or a trucker that is too much in a hurry. | | | |
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azsouthendzone
Posts:528
| | 08/16/2007 9:09 PM |
Alert | | I was on Riggs going east, just west of the 347 and I had to pull over. It was insane. | | | |
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KurtSmith
Posts:3
| | 08/16/2007 9:31 PM |
Alert | | I was on my bicycle. Thanks to all those people that offered to give me a ride. There was no way i was getting in anyone's car with all that dust on me. Spent 20 minutes on shoulder with my head down and eyes closed. | | | |
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Phil in Mcpa
Posts:6
| | 08/16/2007 10:18 PM |
Alert | <div class='NTForums_Quote'>Posted By JonAndAshly on 08/16/2007 9:04 PM
All I could think about was the brilliant person who didnt turn their lights on </div>
Have you lived in arizona for very long? Turning your lights off in a sand storm is actually the right thing to do. First get as far off the road as possible, and turn your lights off. If you leave them on, or depress the brake pedal, cars coming up behind you may think that's where the road is and could steer right at you. Many people have caused horrible accidents - even died - that way.
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JonAndAshly
Posts:233
| | 08/17/2007 6:48 AM |
Alert | What are you talking about, might think thats where the road is? Is it where the road is! Why pull off to the side when no one is moving?! That is actually the most dangerous advice I was given. And if you are supposed to turn your lights off then why was the highway patrol officer also sitting there with his lights and emergency lights on just like everyone else. Why in the heck would you turn your lights off, so someone can slam right into the back of you?
Oh my gosh, I cant imagine being on a bike in that. I felt like I could barely breathe from all the dust and I was in a car. | | | |
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twostep23
Posts:1689
| | 08/17/2007 7:40 AM |
Alert | Contact any law enforcement agency and they will tell you in a dust storm:
"pull off the road as far as you safely can, turn your headlights off and keep your foot off the brake".
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/brochures/duststrm.htm
Here are a few more tips from the National Weather Service about dust storms.
Be safe. | |
Senior Member
Posts: 4625
Joined: Feb 2006 | |
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CaliGurl~n~Copa
Posts:323
| | 08/17/2007 9:03 AM |
Alert | | Hey KuttSmith, I saw you before the storm hit our parked cars and was thinking, wow I hope this guy will be okay?! And then to see you covered in all of that dirt after we finally started moving... I felt for you dude! Congrats on making it out of it! You have some guts! | |
"Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent."
-Marilyn vos Savant | |
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Jason
Posts:3378
| | 08/17/2007 9:16 AM |
Alert | <div class='NTForums_Quote'>Posted By twostep23 on 08/17/2007 7:40 AM
Contact any law enforcement agency and they will tell you in a dust storm:
"pull off the road as far as you safely can, turn your headlights off and keep your foot off the brake".
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/brochures/duststrm.htm
Here are a few more tips from the National Weather Service about dust storms.
Be safe.</div>
That's good advice usually, but on any highway of sufficient volume, there is no way for all of the traffic to fit onto the shoulder. Certainly not in an orderly manner. | |
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pissedparent
Posts:281
| | 08/17/2007 1:34 PM |
Alert | <div class='NTForums_Quote'>Posted By KurtSmith on 08/16/2007 9:31 PM
I was on my bicycle. Thanks to all those people that offered to give me a ride. There was no way i was getting in anyone's car with all that dust on me. Spent 20 minutes on shoulder with my head down and eyes closed.</div>
You must have been the preson I saw at about 5:20 going toward Maricopa. If it was I felt so bad, I understand not wanting to get in but I still would have asked in I were in the right hand lane. Glad you got home safe. | | | |
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KurtSmith
Posts:3
| | 08/17/2007 2:44 PM |
Alert | Yeah, I got stuck in that haboob dust storm last year too. It was early enough that I was able to jump in a pickup truck with someone who was headed to Maricopa. Gentleman took me right to my front door.
Last night i guess underestimated the storm. A guy in a white pickup truck stopped after Riggs and I waved him off thinking it wouldn't be that bad. Bet that guy thinks i am a complete moron.
I must say, last night's storm made the haboob last year look like a minor dust storm. | | | |
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CaliGurl~n~Copa
Posts:323
| | 08/17/2007 2:55 PM |
Alert | | Haboob, that's funny you say that word. I just had my niece looking it up last night! She had a weather assignment to write about so I told her to right about that considering 1) her tia got stuck in one and 2)AZ and the region of the Saharan desert of North Africa are the only 2 places this "weather phenomenon" occurs! Of course her assignment was due today! I would have pulled over for you Kurtsmith, but I was in the left lane, and as I am sure that you can recall, traffic was not that great to be going in and out of lanes! Anyhoo, glad you made it back to your doorstep! | |
"Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent."
-Marilyn vos Savant | |
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