Dust Devil

On a beautiful sunny day in Arizona while out exploring the desert landscape you might see one of these twirling in the distance. Most of the time Dust Devils don't get big enough to do much damage. But don't be fooled by their size, you would not want to be standing in their path. Maybe you have seen them cross the highway as a vehicle hits them, it can catch a driver off-guard.
Dust Devils can become very strong and in rare cases people have been hurt by them. Even a small one can be a well formed whirlwind staying together for some time. They are similar to tarnadoes with winds rotating upward in a column of sand and debris.
So next time your traveling across the southwest US be watching for a little dust kicking up. It might be the beginning of a Dust Devil!

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