Comment At least six people were killed Friday when a dust storm with winds of about 60 miles per hour hit a Montana highway, causing a massive pileup, authorities said. The crash on Interstate 90 outside Hardin, Mont., involved 21 vehicles, including six semi-trucks, Sgt. Jay Nelson, a spokesman for the Montana Highway Patrol, told The Associated Press. Ambulances were dispatched from as far away as Billings, Mont., about 50 miles away. Video posted on social media showed vehicles scattered across the interstate, including 18 wheels that appeared to have crashed into vehicles or spun in the median. Authorities believe a “fast-moving dust storm” ultimately caused the pile-up. “It looks like there were high winds, causing a dust storm with zero visibility,” Nelson said. A storm summary from the National Weather Service showed winds gusting up to 64 mph in Hardin around 4pm local time on Friday. The names and ages of the dead were not known until early Saturday morning. Authorities said there were also injuries in the pile-up, but no exact figures were given. Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) tweeted that he was “deeply saddened by the news of a mass casualty near Hardin.” “Please join me in prayer to lift up the victims and their loved ones,” he wrote. “We are grateful to our first responders for their service.” I am deeply saddened by the news of a mass casualty near Hardin. Please join me in prayer to lift up the victims and their loved ones. We are grateful to our first responders for their service. — Governor Greg Gianforte (@GovGianforte) July 16, 2022 Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen (R), who oversees the Montana Highway Patrol, said in a Facebook statement that the agency and first responders are investigating the incident. “We will release more information as it becomes available and appropriate out of respect for the lives lost and their loved ones,” Knudchen said. “My prayers are with everyone affected by the tragic events during the dust storm in Big Horn County today.” Thunderstorms Friday afternoon prompted high wind warnings for the Billings area, according to the National Weather Service. The National Weather Service issued severe thunderstorm watches and warnings for south-central and southeastern Montana on Friday. The storms produced strong winds known as outflows that were sent toward Hardin. In addition to gusty winds, forecasters had predicted possible isolated quarter-sized hail and frequent lightning. “This outflow cannot be seen on radar, so take appropriate action now to be weather ready!” the National Weather Service said on Twitter. Strong outflow winds could affect parts of SE MT and Sheridan County, WY, for the next couple of hours. This outflow is not visible on radar so take appropriate action now to be weather ready!#mtwx #wywx pic.twitter.com/KQMr1Q8VWX — NWS Billings (@NWSBillings) July 15, 2022 The crashes started around 4:50 p.m. local time on Friday, according to an incident map for the Montana Department of Transportation. Traffic was backed up for hours on eastbound I-90 and the westbound side of the interstate was reduced to one lane. Nick Vertz, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Billings, told the AP that those kinds of winds could easily whip up dust, quickly making visibility difficult. “If they were looking up at the sky while they were in Hardin, they probably didn’t see much of what you would think of a storm cloud, maybe not much at all,” Vertz said. “It was just a wave of wind that came out of nowhere.”
