'Haboob' Storm System Covers Palm Springs, California in Dust

Strong winds blasted dust and sand through the Southern California skies, including Palm Springs, part of a storm system known as a haboob.

Scott Pam was driving in the area Thursday when the storm hit, and the wind ripped the door straps off of his car.

The dust, whipped around by 40-mph winds, left drivers with low visibility. The name "haboob" comes from the Arabic word habb, meaning "wind."

The storm also bent trees across California's Coachella Valley, but there were no reports of serious injuries.