The culprit was a dust storm (sand storm) over Texas that occurred earlier in the week on March 4th. The dust and sand were lofted into the clouds where it stayed until it was picked up by a strong jet stream wind that transported it toward the Mid-Atlantic.

A rare dust storm has hit Texas on Tuesday, creating an eerie scene across the state. Cities like Killeen, Waco, and Austin experienced power outages as 60-mph winds caused the storm to blot out the sun,