How do you prepare for a sand or dust storm?

Short answer. Close windows and doors and stay indoors, preferably in an air-conditioned room ⁶. If you must go out, wear a correctly fitted P2 or P3 mask ⁶. On the road, do not drive into the dust: pull completely off the pavement, turn off all lights, set the parking brake and take your foot off the brake ⁵³. U.S. warnings start when visibility drops to ¼ mile or less ⁴.

Where do sand and dust storms happen, and how big is the problem?

The World Health Organization estimates that 330 million people are exposed daily to particles transported by wind, sometimes thousands of kilometres from where the dust was lifted ¹. The WMO says about 2 billion tons of dust are emitted each year, and that more than 80% of the global dust budget comes from the deserts of North Africa and the Middle East ².

The storms take different forms depending on where you live:

• The Gulf and the Middle East. The WHO notes a surge in the frequency, duration and intensity of dust storms in its Eastern Mediterranean Region ¹.
• East Asia. In Korea, public guidance covers "yellow dust" and fine dust together, with steps for before and after an episode ⁷.
• The U.S. Southwest. A haboob is a wall of dust pushed by thunderstorm outflow winds; the NWS describes it as an advancing wall of dust and debris that may be miles long and several thousand feet high ³. In Arizona, dust storms are most frequent during the monsoon, June to September, but can happen at any time of year ⁵.
• Inland Australia. NSW Health warns that visibility can deteriorate quickly and that dust storms may trigger asthma attacks in sensitive people ⁶.

How are dust storms announced?

Your national weather service issues the warning; follow it rather than social-media posts. Behind the national forecasts, the WMO's Sand and Dust Storm Warning Advisory and Assessment System (SDS-WAS) coordinates four regional centres: Jeddah for the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Barcelona for Northern Africa, the Middle East and Europe, Beijing for Asia, and Barbados for the Americas ².

The U.S. National Weather Service uses visibility thresholds ⁴:

A quarter mile is about 400 metres. Other countries use their own alert systems; check your national weather service.

What should you do at home?

The aim is to keep dust out and lungs calm. The common steps from NSW Health and Korean guidance:

• Before: check your windows to keep dust out and have masks ready ⁷.
• During: stay indoors with windows and doors closed, preferably in air-conditioned premises ⁶. Avoid vigorous exercise, especially if you have asthma, diabetes or a breathing condition ⁶.
• Children and older people: reduce outdoor activity and bring children home as soon as possible ⁷.
• Rural homes: close doors and vents of greenhouses and stables, and move livestock inside ⁷.

If you want one room with filtered air for the most sensitive people, the steps are in the guide on setting up a clean-air room.

Where the advice differs. NSW Health says to keep windows and doors closed ⁶. The Korean guidance adds that minimal ventilation is still needed to limit indoor pollutants such as carbon dioxide ⁷. In practice: keep the house closed during the peak, then air it once the dust has passed.

What if you are driving when the dust hits?

Visibility can drop to zero, leaving you and other drivers driving blind ⁵. Arizona's "Pull Aside, Stay Alive" campaign gives these steps ⁵:

1. Do not drive into a dust storm if you can avoid it.
2. Check traffic in front, behind and to the side, and start slowing down.
3. Pull off as soon as possible; do not wait for poor visibility. Exit the highway completely if you can.
4. Never stop in a travel lane or the emergency lane; get completely off the paved roadway.
5. Turn off all vehicle lights, including emergency flashers, so drivers behind you do not follow your lights into your parked car.
6. Set the emergency brake and take your foot off the brake.
7. Stay in the vehicle with seatbelts buckled until the storm passes.

The NWS adds that if you truly cannot pull off, you should drive at a speed suited to the visibility, with lights on, sound the horn occasionally, follow the painted center line and look for a safe place to stop ³. It also notes that dust storms usually last only a few minutes ³.

Where the advice differs. ADOT says not to wait for poor visibility before pulling off ⁵. NSW Health gives a number: be prepared to pull off the road if visibility falls below 100 metres ⁶. NSW Health also advises switching the car's air intake to "recirculate" ⁶. ADOT's earlier trigger is the safer one.

Which mask works against dust?

NSW Health says a P2 or P3 mask "should block even the finest particles" if fitted correctly over the nose and mouth ⁶. The Korean guidance tells older people and people with breathing problems to wear a mask when going out, and, if a mask is uncomfortable, not to wear it after consulting an expert ⁷. Labels, fit and beards are covered in detail in the guide on masks for smoke and pollution; the same certified respirators apply to dust.

Who is most at risk, and what about asthma?

The WHO describes dust episodes as a growing concern mainly for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases ¹. NSW Health lists infants, children and adolescents, older people, people with asthma, bronchitis or emphysema, people with heart disease and people with diabetes as the groups most at risk ⁶. Coarse particles generally reach only the nose, mouth or throat, but fine particles can get much deeper into the lungs ⁶.

If you develop shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing or chest pain, NSW Health says to follow your prescribed treatment plan, and to seek medical advice if symptoms do not settle ⁶. Ask your doctor before the season about your own action plan and medication; in an emergency, call your local emergency number.

What should you do after the storm?

• Clean up. Once the dust has passed, ventilate the house well and clean it ⁷. Wash your hands and feet when you come home, and wash food or objects exposed to dust before eating or using them ⁷.
• Rainwater tanks. If your roof feeds a tank, disconnect the downpipes when dust storms are forecast or the roof is still dusty, and reconnect them after a good flush of rain ⁸. If the water looks, smells or tastes unusual, use bottled water for drinking and food preparation until it returns to normal ⁸. Not all filters remove fine dust; ask the supplier of your filtration system ⁸. The dust settles at the bottom of the tank over time, and a professional can then de-sludge it ⁸.
• Watch symptoms. If breathing symptoms do not settle, NSW Health says to seek medical advice ⁶.

What official agencies recommend

• WHO and WMO (global). The WHO's fact sheet covers health effects and the WHO's work on guidance, evidence and training; it gives no individual protective steps ¹. The WMO's SDS-WAS supplies forecasts to national services through four regional centres ².
• United States (NWS, ADOT). Warnings at ¼ mile visibility or less ⁴; on the road, pull fully off, lights off, foot off the brake ⁵³.
• Australia (NSW Health, Victorian health authorities). Stay indoors, use a P2 or P3 mask outside, pull over below 100 m of visibility ⁶; protect rainwater tanks ⁸.
• Korea (SAFEKOREA guidance). Prepare masks, reduce outdoor activity for children, older people and patients, then ventilate, clean and wash after the event ⁷.

Frequently asked questions

Should I turn on my hazard lights in a dust storm?

Not once you are parked. ADOT says to turn off all lights, including emergency flashers, so drivers behind you do not use them as a guide and hit your car ⁵. The NWS asks you to check that your tail lights are not lit ³.

How long does a dust storm last?

The NWS says dust storms usually last only a few minutes ³. Widespread blowing dust can last longer: the NWS issues a separate Blowing Dust Warning for events generally longer than 90 minutes ⁴.

Can I drink rainwater after a dust storm?

Only if it looks, smells and tastes normal; otherwise use bottled water for drinking and cooking ⁸. Disconnect downpipes before forecast dust and reconnect after a good rain ⁸.

Your air risks, by postal code

Dust and air-quality alerts differ country by country: see air risks country by country.

The Phaenyx plan's "Water and air" section lists the water and air risks for your postal code, including whether dust storms or rainwater tanks concern your household. The Phaenyx Safe app keeps the reflex sheets offline. Build your Phaenyx plan.

Sources

1. World Health Organization (WHO) — Sand and dust storms — https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sand-and-dust-storms (accessed 2026-10-27)
2. World Meteorological Organization (WMO) — International partnership enhances sand and dust storms early warnings — https://wmo.int/node/25028 (accessed 2026-10-27)
3. U.S. National Weather Service (NOAA) — Dust Storms and Haboobs — https://www.weather.gov/safety/wind-dust-storm (accessed 2026-10-27)
4. U.S. National Weather Service (NOAA) — National Weather Service Glossary: Dust — https://forecast.weather.gov/glossary.php?word=Dust (accessed 2026-10-27)
5. Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) — Pull Aside, Stay Alive: Dust storms — https://azdot.gov/about/transportation-safety/severe-weather/dust-storms (accessed 2026-10-27)
6. NSW Health — Dust storms (fact sheet) — https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/factsheets/Pages/dust-storms.aspx (accessed 2026-10-27)
7. Incheon Metropolitan City, from SAFEKOREA — Emergency Response Guidelines: Yellow Dust / Highly Fine Dust — https://www.incheon.go.kr/en/EN060105 (accessed 2026-10-27)
8. Cardinia Shire Council, relaying Victoria's Department of Health and Human Services — Tank water after the dust storm — https://www.cardinia.vic.gov.au/info/20031/health_and_wellbeing/767/tank_water_after_the_dust_storm (accessed 2026-10-27)