This is the scariest dust devil I have ever seen – and I’ve seen a lot of them.

Dust devils are a regular occurrence in West Texas. Just scan the landscape on a hot summer day and you’re likely to see at least one off in the distance.

They’re typically pretty small and weak, so as kids we thought it was fun to run through them. But I would’ve been running away from the one that was caught on video near San Angelo.

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That’s because it looks like a straight-up tornado as it works its way across the countryside. Thankfully, there’s not a cloud in the sky, so no one mistook it for a destructive twister.

With that being said, it looks like it could cause some damage, which is why you see cars stopping while it crosses the highway. No reason to tempt fate, huh?

According to the National Weather Service, dust devils can be destructive:

Wind speeds in larger dust devils can reach 60 mph or greater. Even though they are generally smaller than tornadoes, dust devils can still be destructive as they lift dust and other debris into the air. Small structures can be damaged, and even destroyed, if in the path of a strong dust devil.

Looking at the amount of dust being kicked up by the San Angelo dust devil, my best guess is that the wind speeds were at least 60 mph. So, I would say the folks who elected not to drive through it made the right call.

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