Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

High winds kick up brown cloud of dust in Las Vegas

0415dust01

Steve Marcus

Dust kicked up by high winds obscures the view of Strip casinos Monday, April 15, 2013.

High winds across the western Mojave Desert overnight have brought a brown cloud of dust into the valley, but the dust has not reached unhealthy levels, Clark County air quality officials said.

The National Weather Service said a storm system moving into the Las Vegas Valley is kicking up winds of 18 to 25 mph.

Clark County Department of Air Quality officials are warning of the possibility of blowing dust through this evening and are advising operators of construction sites to take steps to prevent dust.

Air quality officials will monitor conditions and post an alert on the forecast page of the Department of Air Quality website if unhealthy levels occur.

Airborne dust can aggravate respiratory diseases such as bronchitis and asthma, and it may be best for children, the elderly and people with respiratory diseases to stay indoors during dust storms, officials said.

Free air quality forecasts and advisories are available via e-mail or text message through Enviroflash.

Residents are encouraged to call Air Quality’s dust-complaint hotline at 385-DUST to report excessive amounts of blowing dust. Officials also recommend the following tips to keep dust down:

• Drive slowly on unpaved roads.

• Don’t take short cuts across vacant lots.

• Ride off-road vehicles in approved areas outside the urban Las Vegas Valley.

• Fence off barren property or cover it with gravel, rock, or desert-friendly landscaping.

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