Sandstorms/Haboob (Phoenix, Chandler, Gilbert: where to live, relocate to, car)

[mikeanajessse]

Just curious if the sandstorms affect certain cities around the Phoenix areas more than others.Watching the videos i see on the internet they look pretty scary and i would assume very messy.We are looking to relocate to Estrella Mountain Ranch possibly in the next two years.

[corydon]

Why they call it a "haboob" wil forever be my guess.... it is from arabic as far as I know.

Just don't drive, stay inside or park beside the road, turn off your lights and wait it out.

[fennec2009]

They usually come up from south of the city, so places like Casa Grande , Maricopa, and Chandler/Gilbert can get hit pretty hard. I'm not sure if the mountains would buffer Estrella Mountain Ranch from some of it, but it's likely. They are only scary if you get caught in a bad one while driving, but just pull over and turn your lights off and you should be fine. Otherwise I think they are awesome (though cleaning the patio furniture off after one is not so fun)

[Arizona Mike]

Originally Posted by corydon

Why they call it a "haboob" wil forever be my guess.... it is from arabic as far as I know.

Just don't drive, stay inside or park beside the road, turn off your lights and wait it out.

I think we adopted it because it is fun to say "Haboob"

[sh9730]

And although in Casa Grande definitely get our share, but often they are just STARTING to form south of us, so not that bad yet as they roll through.....Maricopa/Chandler seem to get them the worst often times.

But again, we get some good ones - especially since there is (well was) just two lane freeways through the area so lots of crashes - now with the widening projects all done I think the crashes will be lessened.

[roundball]

Originally Posted by arizona mike

i think we adopted it because it is fun to say "haboob"

I like it.

[corydon]

OK......
Never did hear that word 10 years ago when we lived in AZ.
Been in 3 or 4 sand storms in 7 years. The storm ain't scarry, but the behavior of a handfull people who keep drving at full speed......
On I 40 close to Holbrook or Winslow somebody did drive full speed in a Haboob/ sandstorm. His pick up truck hit a slow truck, catch fire and people did hear him screaming till he died.... Better just to park, you see it coming from far away.

[observer53]

They come in from the southwest much less often than from the east, southeast or south (over South Mountain). I would never choose a place in the Valley to live based on dust storms, but that's just me.

[43north87west]

I also would not worry about where to live based on dust storms. They can smaller and localized, or they can be huge and all-encompassing. Other than the cleanup (which isn't that bad, kind of like cleanup after a major thunderstorm or heavy winds elsewhere), and using caution if driving in one, they're just another weather phenomenon. To me, they are intriguing.

[NYorkFeinix]

Might seem like a dumb question but why turn of your car lights?