PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — A sudden and intense dust storm swept across central Illinois on Friday, reducing visibility to near zero and creating extremely dangerous conditions for drivers.
The National Weather Service described the event as a “rare and intense dust storm” that darkened the sky and left travelers with little to no warning. Several major highways were affected, prompting emergency responses and traffic advisories.
According to the Illinois State Police, many motorists were caught off guard by the storm’s rapid onset. Trooper Joshua Robinson explained that the speed and severity of the storm often left drivers with little time to react.
“Drivers sometimes had a little time to react, and they sometimes found themselves stopped in a lane of traffic or had to slow down so much,” said Robinson. “Then they worried about other drivers behind them not being able to slow down. So we saw collisions in these dust storms just because of that reason. It happened so quickly. Drivers didn’t have a chance to get out of the roadway.”
Trooper Robinson stressed that if drivers encountered low visibility due to a dust storm, the safest option was to pull over — but to do so carefully.
“Slowly pull your vehicle off to the side of the road. Don’t jerk or stop suddenly. Come to a stop on the side of the road,” he advised. “And something most people didn’t think about was — you should shut your lights off. Set your emergency brake, take your foot off the brake pedal so that you didn’t have any lights illuminated.”
For those unable to pull over safely, Robinson recommended continuing at a cautious speed.
“Turn on your lights if you were moving — not parked — but moving,” he said. “Maybe occasionally hit your horn a few times just so people around you knew there was a vehicle, even if they couldn’t see you.”
Paul Wappel, Public Information Officer for the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), said the agency remained in close coordination with the Illinois State Police during the storm.
“IDOT worked very closely [with state police]. It was a joint effort,” Wappel said. “If the decision was made that part of a road or an interstate needed to be closed, then that’s what happened. And when it did, we communicated that to the public as quickly as we could.”
As severe weather continues to impact travel across the Midwest, officials reminded the public to stay alert, monitor weather forecasts, and prepare for sudden hazards on the road.
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