Dust devil at Luxor pool sweeps up chairs, debris
A dust devil hit the Luxor Hotel & Casino pool area around 2 p.m. on Saturday, knocking over guests and pool furniture.
A video of the dust devil hitting the pool area from TikTok user @hollyvagabond has garnered more than 50,000 views. The video shows beach chairs and other belongings getting thrown around by the wind, resulting in a pile of chairs on a pool lawn area and guests falling to the ground.
The dust devil only lasted for a few seconds in the TikTok video before dissapearing.
@hollyvagabond @ABC News @CNN @Univision ♬ original sound – hollyvagabond
One video from Instagram user @dj_cesar_rey showed the aftermath of the dust devil with paramedics and lifeguards assisting guests. The pool was closed after the incident.
“Some type of mini tornado just came through this area (and) knocked people down,” the user said in the Instagram video. “The beach chairs, the umbrellas — everything just flew.”
What is a dust devil?
According to the National Weather Service, dust devils are formed in places with strong surface heating and light winds where the ground can warm air to temperatures above the temperatures close to the ground.
If the ground gets hot enough, a pocket of air will rise through the cooler air above it, causing a vortex that mimics the appearance of a tornado.
Dust devils typically form between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. when the sun is most intense, and can reach up to 60 mph.
Contact Taylor Lane at tlane@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tmflane on Twitter.