Extreme weather events can be quite disruptive to our lives, property, and the economy. It is easy to see the economic toll of storms like Hurricane Helene or Milton. However, a new study by scholars at University of Texas at El Paso, George Mason University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture finds that blowing dust and wind erosion account for $154 billion in damages each year across many sectors of the economy. Here’s why.
What Are Dust Storms?
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a dust storm is, “A wall of dust and debris that is blown into an area by strong winds from thunderstorms. The wall of dust created by a dust storm can be miles long and several thousand feet high.” Particularly strong dust storms, according to the Glossary of the American Meteorological Society are referred to as haboobs, “An intense sandstorm or dust
storm with sand and/or dust often lofted to heights as high as 1500 m (~5000 ft), resulting in a “wall of dust” along the leading edge….” NOAA says the word haboob is derived from Arabic word haab (wind or blow). They are common in parts of northern Africa, the Saharan desert, and even in the desert Southwest of the U.S. They can be quite a sight to see from the ground or from space (picture above).
Some Historical Context As U.S. Becomes Dustier
A press release issued by University of Texas at El Paso describes the new study published in the journal Nature Sustainability. One of the co-authors, Tom Gill, happens to be a friend and colleague. He mentioned this work to me a few weeks ago because he knew $154 billion per year in societal costs from wind erosion and blowing dust was a shocking number. Gill is a professor of Earth, environmental and resource sciences at UTEP. He said, “It might seem strange to think that tiny specks of dust could add up to such huge consequences…. This should be a wake-up call that blowing dust is a major expense and creates great societal harm.”
Professor Gill certainly has a point. As context, there were 27 billion-dollar+ disasters in 2024, according to NOAA. In aggregate, they resulted in roughly $182.7 billion in damages. This suggests that dust storms and wind erosion damages are at the same scale as hurricanes, flooding, and tornadic storms.
Like most weather processes, wind erosion is naturally-occurring. Dust storms and wind erosion are certainly not new. In fact, drought conditions in the 1930s are often used as benchmarks. Associated Press reporter Robert Geiger described the Great Plains region, ravaged by dust storms, as the “Dust Bowl.” However, increasing drought conditions, population-driven stress on water resources and human land use have led to even dustier conditions, according to scholars.
The 1930s are often cited as counter-narrative to anthropogenic climate change. However, I wrote previously in Forbes.com, “The best way to place current warming and past heat records in context is to think about a young basketball player with outstanding jumping ability. The 1930s can symbolize his natural ability to jump.” In that piece, I was trying to overcome false narratives of “either/or” when it comes to natural and anthropogenic climate change. I went on to write, “As time goes on, climate change added a few layers of wood to the basketball court such that the player, even with his natural ability, has an easier time dunking the basketball. Even as that happens, it takes nothing away from the fact that the kid always had amazing “bunnies” as the kids say today.”
What’s Driving Increasing Costs?
The study considered costs associated with numerous economic sectors including agriculture, healthcare, transportation, renewable energy, and individual households. For example, $250 million in transportation costs were analyzed in 2017 due to fatalities and accidents related to degradation of visibility by dust storms. Gill also pointed out, “Dust contains ultra-fine particles that can become lodged in the lungs and exacerbate asthma, bronchitis and other upper respiratory illnesses.” Valley Fever is common in the Southwest and likely accounts for almost $3 billion in medical costs and lost wages.
Wind erosion degrades soil mass, moisture, and nutrient loads, which leads to losses in agricultural productivity. Dust, on the other hand, makes solar and wind energy systems less efficient due to sunlight blockage and grime buildup. Individual household costs were associated with damage to homes and landscaping.
The UTEP press release mentioned solutions from the study. It argued, “…. Dust mitigation efforts — like conservation agricultural practices that help soil remain rooted in the ground — could yield significant economic benefits.” This study was funded by NASA and illustrates the value of federally-funded research to our daily lives.
