After a massive dust storm in central Illinois led to a 72-car pileup that left six people dead on I-55, many are wondering how often the weather phenomenon occurs in the state.
While dust storms typically happen in desert environments and are very rare in Illinois, they are slightly more common during the months of May and June as farming activity ramps up for the season, according to the National Weather Service.
The large crash took place just after 11 a.m. Monday near milepost 76 in Montgomery County. According to Illinois State Police, it initially happened in the northbound lanes of the highly trafficked interstate, but crashes then followed in the southbound lanes.
At least two semi-trucks caught fire during the crash.
Images and video from the scene show dozens of cars and semi-trucks piled up across the highway, with thick clouds of dust covering the road.
Although significant dust storms such as Monday's are rare in Illinois, there have been other notable instances of large storms in the state over the past 40 years.
Most recently, on May 17, 2017, visibility was reduced to near zero amid wind gusts of 40 to 50 miles per hour through large swaths of central Illinois.
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During the storm, I-72 was closed from Jacksonville to Springfield, with I-55 being shut down from McLean to Bloomington.
According to the NWS, two people were killed in crashes during the 2017 dust storm.
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On June 3, 1990, winds up to 60 miles per hour anchored a dust storm across much of northern and east-central Illinois.
The NWS said blowing dust caused the closure of I-57 from Arcola to Mattoon, with five people injured in a crash during the storm.
On May 6, 1983, a dust storm in central Illinois materialized and spread north to the Chicago area by the evening hours, according to the NWS.
Wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour erased visibility in open areas, with one crash involving nine cars and two semi-trailers occurring on I-57 near Rantoul.
