The dust cloud cometh!

ABC's Jim Ryan reports on the Saharan dust cloud headed this way and which states may get hit the hardest, but also how the weather may benefit from it

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Eight forty five, Columbus. This Morning News, It's Mike Elliott.

(00:02):
Glad you're listening this morning. You know we're dealing when
we have been dealing with the smoke from the Canadian
wildfires here the last couple of days. It's been pretty
high in the atmosphere, so we haven't felt that a
lot of effects, and people with breathing issues haven't really
struggled too much, except for today we could have an
issue as that downward pressure in the atmosphere is bringing
some of that wildfire smoke down to the surface. So

(00:23):
hazy eighty seven degrees today. If you do struggle with
some breathing issues, you might notice it a little more
severe today with that wildfire smoke. And now let's bring
in on the Legacy Retirement Group dot Com phone line
from ABC. It's Jim Ryan and Dallas and Jim. The
other story is this Saharan dust cloud that is making
its way to the southern US. What's the story there.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
Yeah, well, it started over a week ago with blowing
up and this isn't terribly rare. It happens every couple
of years or so. But the dust from the Sahara Desert,
it's fine enough particles and they get the right weather
condition there that some of that dust is lifted up
into the atmosphere. It travels on the jet stream four
thousand miles across the Atlantic into the Caribbean and eventually

(01:04):
settles in places like Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, the Carolinas. Yeah,
and it makes for beautiful sunrise. It also helps to
prevent the formation of tropical storms and hurricanes. But like
the Canadian wildfire smoke, it can cause some breathing issues
for people who have pre existing conditions.

Speaker 1 (01:23):
Mike, I was reading that it should be right. Maybe
this weekend is when it starts to make its way
into the US. It's in the Caribbean now, in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana,
that area. Are you seeing this in Texas at all?

Speaker 2 (01:36):
Not yet, but we probably will within the next few days.
You know, it's been kind of hazy here the last
few days anyway, but this will only compound that somewhat.
But yes, Miami may see some of this today, some
of the dust. Now the two could actually combine. The
Canadian wildfire, some of the smoke and the sort wafting
down from the north may actually collide with some of

(01:59):
the Sahara and dust in places like Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia,
so they'll be feeling it from both directions here in
the next couple of weeks. Wow.

Speaker 1 (02:09):
Yeah, And like you said, people with breathing issues asthma
or allergies are susceptible to some of the effects from this,
so you know, stay inside and make sure you're taking
care of yourself. And you did say the one I
just upside is Jim, is that it does reduce the
impact of tropical weather disturbances in the Gulf.

Speaker 2 (02:28):
Yeah. Meteorologists, we're kind of watching an area off of
Florida for any sign of development, but it looks as
though the dust is going to keep that from happening.
Keep it. You know, there's this dry upper level air
coming in from Africa. You know, it helps to inhibit
or tamp down some of the moisture that would otherwise
cause the tropical storm development.