Haboob event in Fresno area catches weather forecasters by surprise. Then the rain came

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Haboob event in Fresno area catches weather forecasters by surprise. Then the rain came

A rare Haboob event blanketed the Fresno area that even caught weather forecasters in Hanford by surprise.

The dust storm kicked up at 2:30 p.m., meteorologist Felix Castro said. The dust storm caused driving problems for motorists especially on the highways.

“It was kind of unexpected,” Castro said. “It’s a very rare event. We noticed it on time when it happened and we were able to see it on radar in satellite image.

The warning was in effect until 3 p.m. for Highways 180, 43, 41 and 99. Castro said they issued three warnings since the dust storm was moving southeast into Bakersfield.

He said winds kicked up to 45 mph at Fresno Yosemite Airport.

Heavy winds caused some power lines to topple, as well as trees, including one at Dakota and Marks where a tree fell on the carport at an apartment that likely damaged vehicles.

Thousands remain without power as of 7:30 p.m.

After the heavy winds, Fresno received .25 inch of rain.

But the Haboob is what was being talked about by forecasters in Hanford.

“We were like ‘Oh my ****’ wow,” Castro said. “When it started developing, we saw it move southeast and it got worse. Then there was a big line of strong showers with the strong winds behind it.”

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