The Faithful Wanderer

The Danger of Sandstorms

How do sandstorms or dust storms start? High winds lift loose sand or dust into the air, producingan abrasive, suffocating cloud. Sandstorms are dangerous. They can cut a car driver’s visibility down to a few feet in seconds, leading to many fatal accidents. Sand is also slick, causing some cars to spin out of control. Smaller particles enter the lungs, causing all kinds of chronic breathing problems. The larger particles can’t be inhaled, but they can cause a person to suffocate, especially if they have a respiratory condition like asthma. Flying, wind-born debris is also a hazard. Flying sand will irritate the eyes and cause corneal abrasions.

Sandstorms can be hazardous, but not to camels.

God Designed Camels to Weather Sandstorms

As desert creatures, camels have a number of useful adaptations which we don’t. They can close up their nostrils completely and their thick lips stop sand from entering their lungs. The camel have a clear, extra eyelid which shields their eyes yet allows them to see during sandstorms. They also have two rows of eyelashes which screen out the sand.

Camels are safe during sandstorms. But if we want to be safe too, we have to be smart. Here’s some expert tips on how to respond when threatened with a sandstorm.

Ways to Survive a Sandstorm 

If Walking:

1. Try to reach shelter immediately. Once behind closed doors, stay put until the storm passes.
2. If you can’t get to shelter, hide behind a large rocks, brick wall or parked car—anything that will help block the flying sand.
3. Stuck in the open? Crouch down to avoid flying debris.. Use a backpack, pillow or even your arms to protect your head.
4. Cover your nose and mouth. Use a respirator mask if you have one, or a bandana or tee shirt.. Wet the cloth first, if possible.
5. Glasses don’t provide much protection. Wear tight-fitting goggles or pull you hat down over your eyes. If you don’t have a hat or googles, use your arm or even a cloth to keep your eyes protected.

Also, if you’re carrying petroleum jelly in your purse of backpack—which none of us do—smear some on the inside of your nostrils. This prevents the mucous membranes from drying out.

If Driving

1. If you see a sandstorm in the distance, while driving, try to outrun it. Sandstorms often travel between 25-35 mph or 40-56 km/h, though with stronger winds, some travel much faster.
2. If visibility starts getting hazy, get off the road, because it can drop to zero in seconds during a sandstorm.
   1. Exit the highway if you can.
   2. Find a safe place to park..

1. 1. If  you aren’t near an exit, pull off the road and park. But remember to turn off your lights.

This step is critical to avoid an accident.

In bad visibility situations,  drivers follow tail lights of the car in front of them. If your lights are still on, you may be rear-ended by a driver who doesn’t realize you’ve stopped.

Stay in the car and keep the vents closed.

This is an image of a military base about to have a close encounter with a sandstorm. There’s one soldier in the lower left hand corner who’s walking among the vehicles  I hope he got indoors before that wall of sand overtook him.

When Nature Roars

Sandstorms can add a yellow haze to the air, blur distant trees, darken the sun or even hide items three feet away. Small ones might last only 15 minutes. Larger ones can last days.

In September 2015, a gigantic sandstorm disrupted life in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Cyprus, Israel, the Palestinian territories and even Cairo, Egypt.. Usually Middle Eastern sand or dust storms occur in the spring or summer. Not this time. The storm lasted several days.

My Spiritual Point

I feel Americans are in a spiritually blinding sandstorm of misinformation. I’m watching the love of Christians grow cold toward each other. Everyone is 100% sure they are right, Know what scares me the most? My Christian friends no longer think the father of lies can deceive them.

That’s the biggest deception of them all.

I believe the Devil’s ability to lie to us has never been greater.

I’m smart enough to realize something else. I can often spot the ways other believers are being deceived. But I can’t  spot the lies the evil one is feeding me.

Holy Spirit, you are the Spirit of Truth. Please reveal the lies I’m believing and help me break free of them.

I want to be a Christian who walks in the truth, don’t you?

I downloaded these images from Pixabay.com.

Editor’s note: The aerial shot of the sandstorm over Egypt and the Red Sea? It’s much smaller than the September 2015 sandstorm which blanketed most of the Middle East.