A paragliding instructor in Perris, California, experienced a terrifying close call when a large dust devil erupted near her landing zone on September 4. Jessica Laird captured footage of the swirling vortex as it churned up sand and debris in the desert area.
Laird told Storyful that she and fellow paragliders noticed the air becoming increasingly turbulent as they descended. "A few moments" after she had safely unhooked her gear on the ground, she witnessed the dust devil moving across the desert floor. She expressed relief at being on the ground, noting that large dust devils in landing areas pose a significant hazard.
"I’ve had friends who have been injured or even died from their parachute collapsing in a dust devil," Laird stated, according to KTLA. The National Weather Service describes dust devils as common wind phenomena globally, formed by intense surface heating that generates powerful localized updrafts. While typically smaller than tornadoes, they can range from 10 to 300 feet in diameter and reach heights of 500 to 1,000 feet, with wind speeds potentially reaching 60 miles per hour.
These vortices, despite their often brief existence, can severely disrupt paragliding and skydiving operations. Sudden changes in air pressure can cause canopies to collapse, leading to rapid descents into the terrain below.