1991 Interstate 5 dust storm facts for kids
The 1991 Interstate 5 dust storm was a huge dust storm that happened on November 29, 1991. It took place on Interstate 5 (I-5) near Coalinga, in California. This storm caused a massive accident involving 104 vehicles on the highway. Sadly, 17 people died, and 150 others were hurt.
Why the Dust Storm Happened
The area where Coalinga is, called the San Joaquin Valley, is a very important farming region in California. This valley has had dust storms before. For example, a big one happened in 1977. Also, smaller dust storms caused crashes on the same part of Interstate 5 in 1978.
When the 1991 accident happened, the valley was in its sixth year of a serious drought. This meant it hadn't rained much, making the ground unusually dry and dusty. Fields near the crash site had been left empty, or fallow, during the planting season. These fields were covered in dust from plowing. There were no crops growing to help block the dust from blowing away.
The Storm Arrives
On November 29, 1991, strong winds and blowing dust were reported across central California. This included both the San Joaquin Valley and the Salinas Valley. A weather station at Naval Air Station Lemoore, which was close to the crash site, measured wind gusts up to 21.6 metres per second (48 mph; 78 km/h). Visibility, or how far you could see, dropped as low as 0.5 kilometers (0.31 mi).
In some parts of the valley, including along I-5, narrow clouds of dust made it even harder to see. People who were in the accident said that visibility quickly dropped to almost zero. California Lieutenant Governor Leo McCarthy reported that winds were blowing at 60 miles per hour (97 km/h; 27 m/s) the day after the accident.
The Big Accident
November 29, 1991, was the Friday after Thanksgiving. Because of the holiday, there was much more traffic than usual on I-5 that day. Around 2:30 PM, the very low visibility on the highway caused a series of crashes. These chain reaction accidents happened about 45 miles (72 km) north of Coalinga.
The accidents mainly happened in five groups along about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of the highway. One pile-up involved 20 cars in the northbound lanes. Most of the other crashes were in the southbound lanes. In total, 104 vehicles were involved. This included 93 cars and 11 semi-trailer trucks. About 150 miles (240 km) of I-5 was closed for a full day after the accident.
Sadly, 17 people died in the accident, and 150 others were hurt. Several vehicles caught fire, which added to the number of people who died or were injured. The dust storm also made it harder for emergency workers to respond. A fire truck and an ambulance were involved in separate crashes while trying to reach the accident site. Even so, first responders were able to get to the remote location within half an hour.
According to the California Highway Patrol, this crash was the deadliest accident caused by a dust storm in California's history. A newspaper, the Deseret News, called it the largest vehicle crash in recent history based on how many vehicles were involved.
