Storm Watching Via Social Media
In case you haven't heard (and we made the national news so I'd be surprised if you didn't), Arizona got hit by a huge haboob last night. For those that don't know what a haboob is, here's the definition: A haboob (Arabic ) is a type of intense sandstorm commonly observed in arid regions throughout the world. They have been observed in the Sahara desert (typically Sudan), as well as across the Arabian Peninsula, throughout Kuwait, and in the most arid regions of Iraq.
Or, as I like to call it, a big ass dust storm.
I was sitting at my dining room table and surfing the web when I first got wind of it. Not actual wind, but knowledge because my peeps started posting on Facebook how much dust they were getting, how fierce the winds were and how limited their visibility was.
It finally hit my place and it was nasty. I thought for sure my sun shade outside was either going to come completely off or hit my patio door hard enough to break it. Fortunately, neither event happened.
What was so fascinating to me, besides Mother Nature's fury, was that I could completely track the storm just with my Facebook and Twitter feed. People posted pictures, gave reports on the level of wind and the amount of rain. It was better than the actual news, in my opinion.
And, because it was so extraordinary, most everyone either posted something directly or commented on someone else's post. It was truly a communal experience.
In case you haven't seen any pictures, here's one that my friend Glenn posted:
People were referencing The Mummy movie and I thought it could easily have been a scene from a sci-fi movie. Remember The Fog?
There were lots of reports of trees down and pools filled with dirt and patio furniture. Fortunately, no one I know of got into a car accident. Having been stuck in one of these a few years ago, I can tell you that it's frightening to be driving. I couldn't see past my hood and had to just keep going forward because I knew I'd get nailed from behind if I stopped. Talk about a leap of faith. Fortunately, I drove through it very quickly.
I was damn happy to be home and vicariously living out in the storm thanks to others' updates.
Or, as I like to call it, a big ass dust storm.
I was sitting at my dining room table and surfing the web when I first got wind of it. Not actual wind, but knowledge because my peeps started posting on Facebook how much dust they were getting, how fierce the winds were and how limited their visibility was.
It finally hit my place and it was nasty. I thought for sure my sun shade outside was either going to come completely off or hit my patio door hard enough to break it. Fortunately, neither event happened.
What was so fascinating to me, besides Mother Nature's fury, was that I could completely track the storm just with my Facebook and Twitter feed. People posted pictures, gave reports on the level of wind and the amount of rain. It was better than the actual news, in my opinion.
And, because it was so extraordinary, most everyone either posted something directly or commented on someone else's post. It was truly a communal experience.
In case you haven't seen any pictures, here's one that my friend Glenn posted:
People were referencing The Mummy movie and I thought it could easily have been a scene from a sci-fi movie. Remember The Fog?
There were lots of reports of trees down and pools filled with dirt and patio furniture. Fortunately, no one I know of got into a car accident. Having been stuck in one of these a few years ago, I can tell you that it's frightening to be driving. I couldn't see past my hood and had to just keep going forward because I knew I'd get nailed from behind if I stopped. Talk about a leap of faith. Fortunately, I drove through it very quickly.
I was damn happy to be home and vicariously living out in the storm thanks to others' updates.
Comments