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A thick haze is blanketing the Caribbean this week, a huge dust cloud that's on track to drift
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its way toward the U.S. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration calls it the
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Saharan air layer, a dusty phenomenon that usually shows up this time of year. It moves across the
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Atlantic between April and October and can impact hurricane activity along the way
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On Tuesday, the dust spread across the Caribbean from the Dominican Republic and Haiti to Cuba
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and beyond. It led forecasters to urge people with asthma, allergies or other respiratory issues
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to stay indoors or wear a face mask if they need to go out. The massive plume is moving toward the
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Gulf Coast expected to hit Georgia, Texas, Louisiana and the Carolinas by the end of the week
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But for Florida, residents could see the dust as early as midweek. Local news reports a smaller
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dust cloud is already overhead, but experts say it's not the one that will affect air quality
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AccuWeather hurricane expert Alex Da Silva reports the dust plume covers nearly 2,000
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miles across and 750 miles from top to bottom, the biggest one to approach the U.S. this year
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Experts say the dust usually stays high in the atmosphere and that dry air can help prevent
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tropical storms from forming or intensifying. The U.S. is still dealing with smoke from
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Canadian wildfires, causing poor air quality in several states. Canada says as of Tuesday
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there are more than 100 fires still burning uncontrolled. For Straight Arrow News, I'm Kaylee Carey
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