Meghan Danahey: May 2009 Archives

I got these photos from a friend of mine serving our country in Iraq. I had to share! These soldiers got to hand out toys, school supplies, clothing and candy to children in Baghdad. He said it was like Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas all at the same time. He also said it was one of the neatest experiences in is whole life.

Notice in these photos the orange and dusty sky. People in Iraq often have to deal with dust storms called Haboobs or Shamals. A Haboob forms from the outflow boundary of a thunderstorm and can happen frequently in the late Fall and Spring seasons. They can be very dramatic. It appears as a solid wall of flying dirt and dust moving across the landscape. The haboob may also occur in dry climates like Arizona or West Texas.

This is a haboob blowing into Taji, Iraq taken in 2006.

A Shamal is less dramatic, but can keep dust suspended in the air and reduce visibilities for four to five days.

Check out the essay describing these dust storm events written by Michelle Moses, a forecaster at Balad Air Force Base, Iraq.

And God bless all of our men and women serving the United States of America all over this world!

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