Saharan dust swirls into South Florida; experts advise residents to limit time outdoors

By Phil Ferro, Rubén Rosario

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    MIAMI (WSVN) — A dusty day across South Florida, caused by the latest wave of dust from Africa, prompted experts to issue a health warning to local residents.

The Saharan dust has arrived to the Sunshine State, so experts caution some residents to limit their time outdoors.

Cameras show haze hovering over downtown Miami, Friday afternoon. This is what the dust looks like when it blankets the region.

Cassandra Gaston is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. She said this is hardly the first time South Florida has been hit with the Sahara dust.

“We saw that in 2020 during the so-called Godzilla dust event. We measured some pretty bad levels of particulate matter,” she said,

And it is the particulate matter in the dust cloud that puts some people at risk.

The American Lung Association says Saharan dust particles are very small, which makes them easy to inhale into the lungs.

People with chronic conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are most at risk, but anyone can have respiratory symptoms related to dust exposure.

Saharan dust is actually simply a cloud of dust from the Saharan desert that travels across the Atlantic Ocean to South Florida.

“It is a normal situation. The dust gets transported to the Caribbean and to the Gulf, as well as to southern Florida, pretty regularly in the summertime,” said Gaston.

Gaston said sometimes the dust is particularly thick, like what South Floridians are seeing this week.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. people should stay indoors as much as possible when there is a high dust concentration.

In addition to respiratory issues, the CDC says heavy dust levels can also lead to eye and skin irritation.

The dust is expected to remain in place through the weekend. People who have to work outside are advised to wear a face mask protect themselves. Pets suffer the same symptoms, so experts advise owners to keep them inside as well.

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