Extreme Weather Across the Caribbean and Southeastern United States! Flooding, Dust, and Developing Storm Systems

Adding a surreal and hazardous layer to this meteorological puzzle is a massive Saharan dust plume, known as the Saharan Air Layer (SAL). Originating thousands of miles away in the African desert, this plume has drifted across the Atlantic, blanketing several Caribbean islands and reaching the coastlines of the southeastern United States. While the SAL can sometimes act as a deterrent to tropical storm intensification by introducing dry, stable air into the atmosphere, its immediate impact on public health is detrimental.