Dust devil appears in Pahrump; family gets bird’s-eye view
They say lightning doesn’t strike twice in the same place, but the same can’t be said for dust devils, at least in Pahrump.
Around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, a thin whirlwind was spotted in Pahrump in the Gamebird-Homestead roads area.
The dust devil was captured on video by Lee Smith on his southeast Pahrump property, which is the future site of Wild Horse and Burro Rescue, Feel Good Charities. Smith and his family got a bird’s-eye view of the dust devil from their second-floor home looking toward Mount Charleston.
The National Weather Service said it did not appear the dust devil was connected to the base of the clouds.
Smith, who has lived in Pahrump for about a year, said this was the second time he’s spotted a dust devil, and in just about the same area. On June 14, Smith also posted a short video of what appeared to be a funnel cloud.
NWS meteorologist Alex Booth said it’s not unusual to see such activity in Pahrump. When it’s hot and there’s an upward force of air, dust devils can be seen. In fact, isolated swirls often occur, he added.