(YouTube)
A freak “dust devil” wind storm created havoc for organizers outside the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on Wednesday, ahead of Thursday’s Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game. The chaos was caught on camera, as people and mascots scurried for safety as tents and equipment dangerously swirled above the ground. Check out the video below.
The situation unfolded in Parking Lot H at the Rose Bowl, where vendors were preparing their booths for the big events. Out of nowhere, intensifying winds converged to create a terrifying anomaly, with canopies being swept up from the ground and lifted into the air. According to local reports, at least four people sustained minor injuries and were treated at the scene, while another individual was taken to the hospital for treatment.
“We’re calling it a dust devil but a cold one,” National Weather Service forecaster Ryan Kittell told the Los Angeles Times. “It was not a tornado. There’s no thunder clouds in the area.” Another NWS specialist explained that dust devils are rare events where a number of unusual atmospheric circumstances have to line up, and this was one of those cases. On Thursday, the Rose Parade featured chilly weather but no similar disturbances. Now in its 126th year, the event took over the streets of Pasadena with more than 40 floats, 20 bands, and an estimated 400 horses along the route. Check out the video of Wednesday’s “dust devil” below.
