http://abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s726585.htm Thursday, November 14, 2002. Posted: 11:51:24 (AEDT) Dust storms cause havoc across NSW Soil experts are predicting up to three million tonnes of top soil from New South Wales could have been relocated during Tuesday night's dust storm in the Riverina. John Lees, from the Department of Land and Water Conservation, says dust was recorded from Griffith in the south-west to Orange, but he says satellite figures could show a wider spread. Visibility in Griffith was reduced to 200 metres Mr Lees says the storm was the fourth in the region in the past four weeks. "The longer we go without rainfall, the looser soils become, they just gradually weather and with the heat of the day and in the cool of the night they become loose on the surface," he said. "Even if you've got no stock in your paddock, you're not cultivated soils are slowly becoming looser, so the only way to reduce is to get a significant rainfall." Print Email