In Inside Climate News’ article, “Dust Storms Surprise the Midwest and Raise Worries About Climate Risks”, published September 21, 2025, Nikita Ponomarenko reports on recent dust storms in Illinois and Kansas that resulted in tragic accidents. It is also misleading to claim climate change “drives” dust storms. While drought may be one precondition, the leap from a seasonal drought to anthropogenic climate change as the driver of a dust storm is unjustified. The difference between dust storm or no dust storm often comes down to farming practices, not carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. In the end, dust storms are tragic when they claim lives, but they are not proof of a “climate crisis”.