Dust Storm Triggers Las Vegas Blackout

By Douglas McIntyre  •  July 13, 2025

Most electricity blackouts are caused by overloading of the grid or damage from sources, which include lightning. Recently, there was another reason. A dust storm caused a blackout in Las Vegas.

On July 2, winds hit Las Vegas at speeds above 60 MPH. Because of a lack of electricity, the city opened cooling centers for those who lost air conditioning. The matter was made worse by 100-degree F temperatures.

Dust storms can have two energy outages. They can knock down power lines and jam the intakes of power generation machines. 

Storms In The Southwest

Most large dust storms in the US are in the Southwest and Texas. The largest dust storm this year was located in that area. According to the NOAA, the latest storm began in southern New Mexico and southwest Texas on March 18, 2025, darkening the skies over El Paso and nearby cities, snarling traffic throughout the area. 

Blackouts are more likely in the US than they were several years ago. Some of this has to do with electricity systems that are overloaded by air conditioning. Shortly, AI server farms will become the largest users of electricity in many parts of the US.

However, natural disasters will remain near the top of the list of factors for energy interruption.

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