Dust Devils
By marcyaz
@Marcyaz (35316)
United States
February 4, 2016 3:07pm CST
What am I talking about well in Arizona we have these dust devils that are small or large whirlwinds which is visible as a column of dust and debris.
Dust devils are usually harmless but sometimes they can cause problems.
Some people liken them to a tornado but they are different.
In the southwestern United States, a dust devil is sometimes called a dancing devil.
In Death Valley, California, it may be called a sand auger or a dust whirl.
Do you have these where you live?
11 people like this
11 responses
@louievill (28846)
• Philippines
4 Feb 16
good then, I know somebody whose house is the other way around, very clean, no dust only
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s 1 person likes this
@louievill (28846)
• Philippines
4 Feb 16
I have seen similar here but smaller and very rare, we call it ipo-ipo or buhawi it's the same name given to a hurricane or tornado so it's very confusing
2 people like this
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
5 Feb 16
@louievill I can image you do have them there as it would be weather a lot like Arizona I would imagine, dry and hot.
@celticeagle (189792)
• Boise, Idaho
5 Feb 16
I think I always knew them as dust whirls.
1 person likes this
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
5 Feb 16
@celticeagle Dust whirls yes as they are called different names depending on where you live.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (189792)
• Boise, Idaho
5 Feb 16
@Marcyaz ...I think it is actually called something else but can't recall it.
@GrannyGee (3517)
• Louisburg, North Carolina
15 Feb 16
We don't see dust devils in North Carolina like those in Arizona. I'm very familiar with them ... I use to travel through Arizona on the way to California ... team-driving a big truck with my husband. Once a dust devil came from the desert floor ... hit the front of the truck, bowing the truck down hard to the road ... it took all I could do to control the truck. Thankfully, I did. Before that I thought it'd be fun to get hit by one ... afterwards I respected them ... they are much stronger than people think. :)
1 person likes this
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
15 Feb 16
@GrannyGee So you do know they can be very destructive at times although most of them just are there and then gone doing nothing but raising up even more dust.
1 person likes this
@GrannyGee (3517)
• Louisburg, North Carolina
15 Feb 16
@Marcyaz I learned the power of a dust devil :) Gracious ... who would have thought? Once I would have wanted to let one hit me while standing in the desert ... I know better now :)
@VivaLaDani13 (60812)
• Perth, Australia
4 Mar 16
I saw a small one when I was a kid. I am pretty sure we call them a whirly? Or something like that. Not sure.
1 person likes this
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
4 Mar 16
@VivaLaDani13
I am sure they have different names depending on the country you are in. I have heard them called different names.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
5 Feb 16
No I have never seen one but we don't have dessert landscape.
1 person likes this
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
5 Feb 16
@BelleStarr If you ever saw one you would know what it is.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (135583)
• Marion, Ohio
8 Feb 16
I am in Ohio and I have seen them in the summer. We also get them in the winter. They are really neat with snow in them
1 person likes this
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
9 Feb 16
@wolfgirl569 I liked in Ohio for over 20 years and don't ever remember seeing any there, how times change. In the winter really?
@Namelesss (3364)
• United States
5 Feb 16
We had these in Florida too but most were much smaller. Us kids called them dust devils and we loved to run through them.
