Here are three ways to stay safe during a dust storm

From afar, the largest storms can look like they’re from another world — towering walls of dust that as 10,000 feet.

But dust storms are a fixture in California and many other Western states, and they’re here to stay. In fact, scientists predict they will likely become . That’s because we have reshaped the land, diverted water to cities and farms and continue to churn out planet-warming greenhouse gases.

And these storms are hazardous. They pollute the air with tiny particles linked to . In total, nearly 5 million Californians now live in regions prone to dust storms, according to a new report by the .

Southern California is especially vulnerable. The Imperial Valley and eastern San Diego County are among the regions most prone to dust storms, along with the Coachella Valley and eastern