Word Smith: Haboob
According to the Associated Press, on August 26, 2025, a haboob whipped up the specks of dust from the earth and assaulted the atmosphere of the Phoenix, Arizona.
A haboob is wind-driven phenomenon that can blackened skies. This one did just that and knocked out electricity for 15,000 homes and offices in Phoenix, Arizona. The powerful dust storm created a wall of dust towering hundreds of feet high that dwarfed the city’s neighbourhoods and frightened its citizens.
Huge dust storms have long been a fact of life in the Valley around Phoenix. They happen frequently during the hot and dry summer months. It is surprising that seemingly everyone suddenly started calling them “haboobs” one day.
For Some Context: Haboob is an Arabic word that originated to describe the massive dust storms seen in Sudan and are common throughout the region.
- The terms are often used interchangeably, but not all dust storms qualify as haboobs — it’s the wall or cloud of dust you see that typically qualifies the event as a haboob.
- A 1972 article published by the American Meteorological Society stated that about 50% of dust storms in the Phoenix area qualify as haboobs.
Henry E. Hooper 