Sandstorm Facts For Kids

A sandstorm is caused when there is lots and lots of wind. The wind whips up heaps of sand as if my magic with it and carries it away with it for miles and miles. They can be quite something to see.

The clouds that carry the dust can be huge, and miles long. They can rise to be over 10,000 feet (305m). They also have wind speeds of at least 25 miles per hour (40 kilometers).

Sandstorms can happen really quickly. One minute they’re not there, and the next minute they’re right next to you!

If you get caught in a sandstorm you’ll certainly be covered in sand and debris from head to toe. You won’t be able to see a thing as it gets in your eyes, your ears and your mouth too. Doesn’t sound too cool does it? Try and cover your mouth and eyes as much as you can.

Where Do You Find Sandstorms?

You’ll mostly find them in dry and hot regions, for example like the Sahara Desert. If you’re ever there, keep a sharp lookout and run if you see one coming! You want to be covered in dust.
You can also find them in the US, especially in dry and flat regions like Kansas and Oklahoma.
In these areas, there is lots of farming going on. So what does that mean? Well there is more bare earth for the wind to whip up and take it along its journey.

Interesting Facts about Sandstorms

Did you know that sandstorms can really hurt and even kill people? That’s quite scary. It is the number 3 weather condition that can cause serious harm to people in the US.
They are also called ‘haboobs’ in the US, which comes from the Arabic word ‘hab’ which means ‘wind.’
They mostly occur during summer, but also in spring too in the US.
Sandstorms life the topsoil off the land. Topsoil is extremely important for crops to grow, so a sandstorm can cause lots of damage.
This is amazing. Dust all the way from the Sahara Desert is blown across the Atlantic Ocean. What happens next? Well Miami get some pretty awesome red sunrises and sunsets. But it doesn’t stop there; it keeps going as far as the Caribbean and the Amazon Basin. That is one serious sandstorm.
During the 1960s there were eight sandstorms that caused some serious damage; 13 more in the 1970s; 14 in the 80s and more than 20 in the 1990s. Australia was having problems with sandstorms. Apparently they cost Australia about $20 million a year in medical bills because of asthma and respiratory disease which is thought to be caused by sandstorms.

So, now you know all about sandstorms! It certainly wouldn’t be fun to be caught in one of these, would it?