AFTER A STORM IN MONTANA CAUSES A TRAFFIC JAM, 6 PEOPLE PASS AWAY

According to police, six individuals have perished after a pileup on Interstate 90 in Montana Friday night as a result of a dust storm fueled by wind gusts above 60 mph.

According to Sgt. Jay Nelson of the Montana Highway Patrol, 21 crashes were the result of weather-related factors.

He claimed that there had been "severe winds, generating a dust storm with zero visibility."

Nelson stated that additional ambulances had to be requested from Billings in order to assist, despite the fact that the highway patrol did not have a current tally of the number of injuries.

Gov. Greg Gianforte expressed his sadness for the mass fatality crash in Hardin on Twitter. As we pray for the victims and their loved ones, please join me. We appreciate the efforts of our first responders.

The Montana Highway Patrol is currently on the scene with other first responders and is conducting an investigation, according to the state's attorney general, Austin Knudsen, who is in charge of the highway patrol. Out of respect for those who died and their loved ones, we will provide more information when it becomes available and is appropriate.

The unfortunate incidents that occurred today in Big Horn County during the dust storm are being thought of in my thoughts, Knudsen continued.

3 miles (5 km) west of Hardin is where the incident took place. Hundreds of trailers, campers, and cars were backed up along the two interstate eastbound lanes for kilometers, as seen in a video from The Billings Gazette.

According to Nick Vertz, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Billings, the storm's origins can be found several hours ago, when storms appeared in central and southern Montana between 1 and 2 p.m. and gradually moved east.

Due to these storms, a severe thunderstorm watch was issued for Hardin and adjacent areas of Montana on Friday from mid-afternoon until nine o'clock. Quarter-sized hail, scattered wind gusts up to 75 mph (121 kph), and frequent lightning were all predicted by meteorologists.

According to Vertz, a wind surge known as a "outflow," which is caused by storms but can move quicker than them, went east-southeast roughly 30 miles (48 kilometers) in front of the storms.

At 4:15 p.m., the adjacent Big Horn County Airport recorded a gust of wind of 40 mph (64 kph). At 4:28 p.m., the highway patrol received a report of the collision.

The gusts increased to 62 mph by the following data from the airport weather station at 4:35 p.m. (100 kph). After 20 minutes, a different measurement showed a gust of 64 mph (103 kph).

Visibility was only about a quarter of a mile due to the wind's easy picking up of dust brought on by recent temperatures in the 90s and triple digits during the past week (0.4 kilometers).

If they had looked up at the sky while in Hardin, Vertz said, "they probably wouldn't have seen much of what you'd conceive of as a thunderstorm cloud, or even anything at all." "It was just a sudden gust of wind," the speaker said.

The meteorologist predicted that first responders will be protected from increased winds and thunderstorm activity as they work to clear the wreckage.