On Friday, a wind gust caused a dust storm to occur, topping 60 miles per hour. It eventually let to a pileup on Interstate 10 in Montana. Six people died, and many more were injured.
Authorities say that at least 21 cars were involved in the wreck probably started by the weather.
“It appears as though there were heavy winds, causing a dust storm with zero visibility,” stated one highway patrol sergeant.
An exact number of those who were hurt wasn’t immediately known, but additional ambulances from a neighboring city had to be summoned.
Storms first began to appear at about 1 to 2 p.m. in central southern Montana, and little by little, it began to head east. An “outflow,” a big gust of wind caused by the storms, but are quicker than them, went about 30 miles in front of the storm.
At 4:15 p.m., a 40 mph wind gust was documented near an airport. The crash, not far away, occurred at 4:28 p.m. At 4:35 p.m., the gust had increased to 62 mph.
“If they had looked up in the sky while they’re in Hardin, they probably didn’t see much…It was just a surge of wind that appeared out of nowhere,” stated one meteorologist.
Footage from the scene displays a miles-long backup. Emergency crews worked through the night to clear the roads from the wreckage.
Other winds and thunderstorms are not expected in the area today.
