A thick, dusty haze settled over Phoenix Valley on Tuesday after one of the strongest dust storms on record moved through the area, turning an ordinary day into one with sharper limits for people most likely to feel the air in their lungs and on their skin. For most healthy people, Dr. Frank LoVecchio said, the dust is not a significant concern. For others, it is a different story.
LoVecchio said people with lung disease, heart disease, the very young, the very old and those who are immunosuppressed face the biggest risk, because dust can trigger asthma, strain the heart and send more people to the emergency room. The concern is not just the grit itself. JoAnna Strother said dust particles often carry trapped allergens such as mold spores and pollutants that can trigger allergic reactions, and they can also carry fungal spores that can cause Valley Fever.
That warning landed while the haze was still hanging over Phoenix Valley on Tuesday, when families and regulars were still outside at Encanto Park. Erenzo Scroggins brought his daughter to feed the ducks on the last day before school, and Terry Jones said he fishes at Encanto for an hour or more most days. Jones said he usually comes out for an hour or an hour and a half, then goes inside for the rest of the day.
The choice to stay out reflected how quickly some people can normalize conditions that doctors are trying to flag as dangerous. At the same time, the advice was simple: people in sensitive groups should stay inside as much as possible, and anyone who cannot avoid going outdoors should wear an N-95 mask. The lingering question is how long the dusty haze will hang over the valley, but the health message is already clear — the storm may have passed, and the exposure has not.
