Author(s): George Petras Stephen J. Beard

How high winds whipped dry soil into a deadly dust storm in Illinois: A visual breakdown

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At least six people died and dozens were injured when a blinding dust storm caused a pileup of more than 70 vehicles along a 2-mile section of I-55 in central Illinois early Monday.

The blowing dust led to "zero visibility," in which passenger cars and commercial vehicles, including large trucks, piled up in chain-collision crashes, Illinois state police told The Associated Press. Authorities shut down both lanes of the interstate and reopened them at about 6 a.m. Tuesday after a 19-hour closure.

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Storms are created by high winds that lift large amounts of dust and sand from dry soil into the atmosphere. The airborne particles can be blown for miles.

They usually appear as a wall of dust and debris that can be miles long and several thousand feet high, according to the National Weather Service. The thick dust can reduce visibility to zero, causing traffic pile-ups and chain collisions.

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Country and region United States of America

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