Deadly Fungal Storms Sweep the U.S., Spreading a Little-Known Disease That Many Doctors Still Don’t Recognize
Black Sunday, the catastrophic dust storm that struck the central United States on 14 April 1935, remains the most destructive dust event in American history and a defining image of the Dust Bowl. In a matter of seconds, a towering black cloud swallowed daylight over Dodge City, Kansas, as fierce winds lifted an estimated third of a million tonnes of topsoil and turned noon into night. The storm swept across six states, from Nebraska to Texas, covering nearly a million square kilometres and leaving behind ruined crops, dead livestock, half-buried homes, and human fatalities caused by suffocation and dust pneumonia.
Although the extreme health and mechanical dangers seen in the 1930s have changed, dust storms still pose major risks today. Health experts warn that inhaled particulate matter can trigger inflammation, worsen asthma and bronchitis, and increase the chance of heart attacks and strokes. Young children, older adults, and people with existing conditions are especially vulnerable. Research has also linked dust events to the spread of dangerous microbes. In the US Southwest, Valley Fever, a fungal infection that can resemble pneumonia and sometimes become fatal, has been diagnosed more widely, with dust storms suspected of helping disperse spores across long distances.
The modern dust problem is most severe in the drought-stricken Southwest, especially New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas. Recent years have seen a sharp rise in dust events, fueled by record heat, low soil moisture, loss of vegetation, and unusually strong winds. El Paso experienced its most dust storms since the 1930s in 2025, while New Mexico recorded dozens of dust storms, including one plume that reached the Atlantic. Phoenix was hit by a fast-moving wall of dust that disrupted flights and cut power to tens of thousands of homes. Oklahoma has also faced dangerous air-quality episodes linked to dust, wind, and wildfire smoke.
Scientists say the broader trend is worrying. Climate change is making many regions hotter, drier, and more vulnerable to soil erosion. A new study cited in the article suggests that severe drought in the Southwest could persist for decades, perhaps beyond the end of the century. That would mean more loose soil, more dust, and more frequent severe storms. Wind remains a crucial ingredient, since even moderate breezes can raise visibility-threatening dust events, while thunderstorm downdrafts can produce haboobs, fast-moving walls of dust that can engulf entire cities.
The economic toll is enormous. Dust damages crops, livestock, transport systems, energy infrastructure, homes, and public health. In the US, wind erosion and dust were estimated to cost the economy $154 billion in 2017, including billions in home damage, traffic accidents, and energy losses. Solar panels can lose significant efficiency when coated in dust, and wind turbines also operate less effectively in gritty air.
Globally, dust and sand storms affect hundreds of millions of people across more than 150 countries. They are carried far beyond their source, sometimes producing orange skies and “blood rain” when dust mixes with precipitation. While better land management, more vegetation, paved roads, and improved forecasting can reduce impacts, the article argues that stronger action on climate change is needed if future dust storms are to be prevented from becoming even more destructive.
