Massive dust storm triggers highway pileup, power outages in California

A significant dust storm hit California’s Central Valley, resulting in a highway pileup and widespread power outages. This unusual weather event, known as a haboob, created near-zero visibility near Chowchilla, located 400 km north of Los Angeles. Around 20 vehicles, including a semi-truck, were involved in a collision on Highway 152 at approximately 1 p.m. local time, leading to several individuals being hospitalized with minor injuries, according to reports from the California Highway Patrol, as cited by Xinhua news agency.

In Fresno County, the dust storm caused power lines to fall, leaving over 12,000 residents without electricity. One incident involved a tree splitting and falling onto a carport at an apartment complex, narrowly missing children who were playing nearby.

“It was loud and frightening. The kids were terrified,” said resident Karla Sanchez in an interview with ABC30. “My kids came running in, screaming, and when I looked outside, I saw the tree fall and crush everything behind me, including all the cars,” she recounted.

Antoinette Serrato, a forecaster with the US National Weather Service in Hanford, described the storm as “essentially a wall of dust,” noting that such events are quite rare.