Dust storm triggers multiple crashes and closures of US-195 and I-90 in Washington
Dust storms triggered a multi-vehicle crash on US-195 near Spangle on May 13, 2026, while another crash was reported on I-90 near Spokane. Authorities reported near-zero visibility in the area, with the crashes causing both routes to be closed for over 10 hours.
Semi truck flipped on its side on I-90 near Spokane, Washington, on May 13, 2026, amid dust storms in the area. Credit: WSDOT
Multiple crashes triggered by dust storms caused the closures of US-195 and parts of the I-90 in eastern Washington on the morning of May 13.
US-195 was closed in both directions between Cheney-Spokane Road and Watt Road after a multi-vehicle collision occurred due to low visibility in the area.
“The high winds are kicking up dust south of Spokane. We are getting reports of multiple collisions due to poor visibility in the area. Please slow down and consider delaying travel,” the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) said.
Shortly after, a collision involving a semi-truck caused the closure of two eastbound lanes and one westbound lane of the I-90 near the Latah Creek Bridge in Downtown Spokane.
4:48 p.m. update: The left two lanes of EB I-90 are blocked while the tow trucks work on moving the semi, which is now upright. https://t.co/eLdrtHh11Q pic.twitter.com/ALtrGLm2Ot
— WSDOT East (@WSDOT_East) May 13, 2026
The US-195 was under a Dust Storm Warning until 10:45 local time (LT) with the National Weather Service (NWS) warning of life-threatening travel conditions due to near-zero visibility at times.
“Be ready for a sudden drop to zero visibility. When visibility drops, pull far off the road and put your vehicle in park. Turn off your lights and keep your foot off the brake,” said WSDOT.
Both routes were reopened after crews worked for approximately 10 hours to clear the routes. No injuries or fatalities were reported due to the incident.
Meanwhile, dust storms also triggered a multi-vehicle crash along the US-91 near Cove, Utah, on the same day. At least one person was critically injured while six others suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
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I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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