Dust storm knocks out power, causes car crashes across Central Valley

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Strong winds kicked up monolithic particulate clouds crossed Central California connected Monday, creating unsafe question conditions for drivers and leaving thousands without power.

The National Weather Service successful Hanford issued a Dust Storm Warning for cardinal Fresno County, which was allowed to expire astir 3:30 pm.

Officials accidental the tempest swept done Fresno County, making it hard to spot successful respective areas, including Clovis, Fresno, Selma, and Fowler.

ABC30 Insider Melissa Anaya captured photos of a immense unreality of particulate creeping implicit Highway 198.

Traffic cameras on the road adjacent Plaza Drive successful the Goshen country captured drivers traveling done a hazy furniture of dust. Many drivers could beryllium seen utilizing their headlights successful the daylight arsenic the particulate reduced visibility.

In Corcoran, different operator reported having to propulsion implicit arsenic particulate made the roadway astir intolerable to see.

The tempest besides swept done Madera County, wherever it caused a 10-car clang involving a semi-truck connected Highway 152 adjacent Road 17.

The southbound Highway 99 connector to Highway 152 was closed owed to the crash, but has since reopened.

RELATED: ABC30 Live Traffic Tracker

The almighty winds person besides knocked retired powerfulness for much than 5,000 PG&E customers crossed Fresno and Madera counties.

You tin enactment up to day with the latest PG&E powerfulness outages by clicking here.