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Sun October 23, 2011
More Dust Storms Likely
By KRWG News
Texas – Meteorologists say people in West Texas could see more dust storms like the 8,000-foot-tall cloud that hit Lubbock on Monday on the state's epic drought continues.
But they also say a return of the Dust Bowl is unlikely because of modern irrigation and farming techniques aimed at holding soil in place.
Dust storms form when wind whips up loose soil. They aren't unusual in the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles, although experts say the size and speed of Monday's cloud was rare.
One thing that Texas farmers to do prevent such storms is "sandfighting." They poke small holes in the ground after heavy rain to create small mounds that provide resistance as wind moves across the surface and prevent dirt from taking flight.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.