Gusty winds prompt advisory for blowing dust

By Mary Manning

Monday, Oct. 26, 2009 | 9:48 a.m.

An advisory for blowing dust has been issued for the Las Vegas Valley and surrounding areas as gusty winds are expected Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday afternoon.

The Clark County Department of Air Quality and Environmental Management is advising residents and construction site operators to prepare ways to reduce windblown dust grains as gusts could reach up to 60 mph Tuesday afternoon and into Wednesday.

As part of the county's dust control program, air quality officials are sending notice to construction sites asking them to take precautions to prevent blowing dust. Air quality officials will continue to monitor the air and will post an alert on the DAQEM Web site if unhealthy levels of dust occur.

If high winds occur, local or valley-wide areas of blowing dust are likely to occur, air quality officials said. Children, the elderly and people with respiratory diseases are urged to stay indoors during dust storms.

Residents are encouraged to call Air Quality's dust complaint hot line at 385-DUST to report excessive amounts of blowing dust.

Air Quality officials also recommend residents drive slowly on unpaved roads, not take shortcuts across vacant lots, ride off-road vehicles only in approved areas outside the urban Las Vegas Valley, and fence off barren property or cover it with gravel, rock or desert-friendly landscaping to keep dust down during high winds.