the 10 Counties With the Most Dust Storms
About a year ago, plumes of westward dust blown in from the Sahara Desert caused hazy skies and degradations in air quality throughout Texas and the Southeast. The hazardous event was the latest in a series of dust storms — fueled by dust from both America’s deserts and overseas — that triggered dozens of air quality alerts and ranked as one of the dustiest seasons in decades.
Dust storm activity is spiking across the American Southwest, driven by intensifying drought, higher temperatures, and expanding arid landscapes. Once largely associated with the Great Plains, the country’s dust storm epicenter has shifted west, with the most severe activity now concentrated in Arizona’s Maricopa and Pinal counties. In some places, the frequency of dust storms has more than tripled since the mid-2000s, posing rising risks to public health, agriculture, and transportation systems. A closer look at the data reveals the counties where dust storms activity is rising the fastest.
To determine the counties where dust storm activity is on the rise, Climate Crisis 247 reviewed data on historical Dust Storm Warnings issued by the National Weather Service. Counties were ranked based on the average annual increase in dust storm warnings issued by the NWS from 2006 to 2024. Historical NWS dust storm warning polygons were pulled from the Iowa State University Iowa Environmental Mesonet program and were aggregated to the county level in QGIS. Population data is from the U.S. Census Bureau.
10. Yavapai County, AZ
- NWS-issued dust storm warnings, 2006-2024: 252
- Worst year for dust storm warnings: 2022 (77 warnings)
- Total population: 241,656
- County seat: Prescott
9. Graham County, AZ
- NWS-issued dust storm warnings, 2006-2024: 265
- Worst year for dust storm warnings: 2018 (49 warnings)
- Total population: 38,860
- County seat: Safford
8. Yuma County, AZ
- NWS-issued dust storm warnings, 2006-2024: 278
- Worst year for dust storm warnings: 2022 (93 warnings)
- Total population: 207,685
- County seat: Yuma
7. San Bernardino County, CA
- NWS-issued dust storm warnings, 2006-2024: 286
- Worst year for dust storm warnings: 2022 (82 warnings)
- Total population: 2,187,816
- County seat: San Bernardino
6. Imperial County, CA
- NWS-issued dust storm warnings, 2006-2024: 307
- Worst year for dust storm warnings: 2022 (104 warnings)
- Total population: 179,319
- County seat: El Centro
5. Gila County, AZ
- NWS-issued dust storm warnings, 2006-2024: 319
- Worst year for dust storm warnings: 2022 (78 warnings)
- Total population: 53,610
- County seat: Globe
4. La Paz County, AZ
- NWS-issued dust storm warnings, 2006-2024: 380
- Worst year for dust storm warnings: 2022 (128 warnings)
- Total population: 16,605
- County seat: Parker
3. Pima County, AZ
- NWS-issued dust storm warnings, 2006-2024: 631
- Worst year for dust storm warnings: 2022 (115 warnings)
- Total population: 1,049,947
- County seat: Tucson
2. Pinal County, AZ
- NWS-issued dust storm warnings, 2006-2024: 850
- Worst year for dust storm warnings: 2018 (127 warnings)
- Total population: 449,219
- County seat: Florence
1. Maricopa County, AZ
- NWS-issued dust storm warnings, 2006-2024: 938
- Worst year for dust storm warnings: 2022 (169 warnings)
- Total population: 4,491,987
- County seat: Phoenix
