“Godzilla” Saharan Dust Storm Heads Towards US

Sometimes you have to take a step back and chuckle at the situation we find ourselves in. The pandemic and social unrest are no laughing matter, of course. But when you hear that “Murder Hornets” have invaded the Pacific Northwest or learn that Mr. Peanut died in a tragic Nutmobile accident (no I’m not making this up!), it’s almost comical how much of a train wreck 2020 has become. And now we have a new enemy: a “Godzilla” dust storm from the Sahara Desert making its way across the Atlantic towards the United States.

Should you be scared of this dust cloud? The media certainly thinks so!

Thankfully, there is nothing to fear. Saharan dust moving west across the Atlantic is actually a very common phenomenon and occurs every 3-5 days from the late spring to the early autumn. This just happens to be a particularly dusty air mass being carried by stronger-than-average trade winds. Dust has already degraded visibility and air quality in the Caribbean, but it is more of a minor inconvenience rather than a major health threat, let alone a ‘choking hazard’ as the Reuters article implies! This dust may reach parts of the Eastern US next week; uncommon, but definitely not unheard of.

These dust storms are actually quite beneficial for the Amazon Rainforest. Rainforests have very nutrient-poor soils due to leaching, so this dust provides a fresh source of nutrients that the Amazon Rainforest would otherwise not receive. Dust storms also have an added benefit of suppressing hurricane formation, and I think we can all agree that a few hazy days are less destructive than a Category 5 hurricane.

A magnificent view of a dust plume from @NOAA‘s #GOESEast, from June 23. Known as the #SaharanAirLayer, this particular plume has reportedly spread over the Caribbean, reducing visibility in some areas to five miles. See our world: https://t.co/ZcDtqO5ZoH pic.twitter.com/7jHIIJTm88

— NOAA Satellites (@NOAASatellites) June 24, 2020

Long story short – you can chalk the “Godzilla Dust Plume” on to the 2020 hysteria, but thankfully, this one will affect your newsfeed more than your day-to-day life.

Stay safe out there. The U.S. saw a record 38,000 new cases of coronavirus today, and I fear we are only a couple weeks away from seeing 50,000+ case days. These new cases will translate to a new wave of hospitalizations and deaths in the weeks ahead. Wear a mask, stay 6 feet away from those you don’t live with, and avoid all non-essential travel. It’s easy to not take this seriously until cases begin to rise dramatically – and by then, it is too late to prevent a surge. We are well past that point now, but we can still do a tremendous amount to reduce our exposure to the virus.

Charlie