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Dust Storm

Mars is infamous for its large and sometimes quite lengthy dust storms which raise so much dust that they can be seen with telescopes from Earth. While the wind speeds reached during these storms are not quite dangerous, taking into consideration that Mars's atmosphere is 1% of Earth's, the sheer amount of dust raised can knock field machinery out of order until fixed.

Another issue is that Mars's fine dust particles are extremely dry and slightly electrostatic, which can cause damage to an electrical grid if a storm with more electrostatic properties appears.

MOXIEs and Moisture Vaporators do not function during dust storms. Dust storms also suspend air traffic, meaning all shuttles will finish their final courses and then return to their hubs until the storm passes.

Electrostatic dust storms are a rare occurrence. Lightning strikes during such storms can shutdown buildings for a time or drain the batteries of drones and RC Rovers. The greater the risk the dust storm is flagged to pose in an area, the higher the chance for an Electrostatic Dust Storm to appear. Dust storms can also be a seasonal event, happening routinely in most high-risk areas.

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