MASON COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Residents in one West Virginia county reported unusual debris falling from the sky on Friday evening, prompting multiple calls to local emergency officials.
According to the Mason County Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the substance was sand carried into the atmosphere by a large sandstorm and later deposited by rainfall.
After consulting with the National Weather Service, officials confirmed there is no cause for concern or danger to the public.
The event, while rare, can occur when strong winds lift sand high into the atmosphere, where it can travel long distances before falling back to the ground with precipitation.
Locally, Beckley experienced a brief hail storm Friday evening but it is unclear whether any of the sand made it that far.
