A powerful dust storm swept through Oklahoma and Texas, causing multiple crashes and injuring at least 10 people. The storm, fueled by 60-85 mph wind gusts, reduced visibility along highways and interstates to near zero on Friday afternoon.
One of the crashes involved an ambulance near Blackwell, Oklahoma, where four people were injured, including two medics. The ambulance, returning from a hospital, encountered zero visibility conditions along Highway 11 in Doolin. The crash caused severe damage to the ambulance’s left side.
In a separate incident in Doolin, six people were injured in a multi-vehicle crash along Interstate 35. The region experienced blistering winds, with gusts reaching up to 87 mph in western Texas and 83 mph in Amarillo.
The National Weather Service warned against travel due to near-zero visibility in many areas, leading to numerous accidents caused by high winds. Dust storms were part of a powerful storm system affecting over 150 million people with severe weather threats into Saturday.