The weather has its good and bad days, but when drought comes into play, any incoming system is expected to make a mess. Whether that occurs in the form of rain, tornado, hail or dust, local organizations should always be prepared with their own business continuity plan.
Earlier this week, residents in parts of Texas and New Mexico felt the effects of 50 mile per hour winds creating a 1,000-foot high dust storm. Some called it a haboob, which is another common term for dust or sandstorm, but AccuWeather contributor Samantha-Rae Tuthill explained that wasn't the case.
"Unlike a haboob, which is caused by an approaching thunderstorm, dust storms are the result of high winds and dry, dusty earth," she wrote.
Both states are facing an extremely severe drought. Thanks to a low pressure cold front that traveled through the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains, visibility was significantly limited on Tuesday, New Mexico news station KOB reported.
"That dust, believe it or not, squeezed through the gaps in the mountains and into the valley," Shawn Bennett from the National Weather Service told the news source.
Temperatures reached around 80 degrees in western Texas, so anyone who has respiratory problems was urged not to step outside until the 200-mile wide dust storm subsided Wednesday morning.
While this weather event may not have the potential to cause much damage to properties, it has the ability to cause car accidents and severe health problems. Business continuity consultants can help companies and communities create action plans for both common situations and rarer ones.