Sunday, September 24, 2023 7:57PM
TOMBALL, Texas (KTRK) — Little League baseball players encountered a weather phanomenon during a game in Tomball. A harmless dust devil put the game on a short hold as it visibly swarmed its way through the stands and onto the field.
Mike Diehl submitted the video that captured the rare moment to Eyewitness News. In the video, the small gust of wind ripped through the crowd, as parents held onto their belongings.
The Little League players can be heard giggling and shouting as the game came to a momentary pause.
One of the coaches can be seen standing still as the whirlwind sweeps his baseball cap right off of his head.
Before the winds captured and swirled up the dirt from the field, the nets on the fence gates can be seen waving like a flag as the crowd’s chatter grows.
According to ABC13 Meteorologist Kevin Roth, small whirlwinds happen during calm weather on hot days as air at the surface heats up and rapidly rises.
Thankfully, they are not nearly as powerful a tornado, although they might look like tiny ones.
Wind can have a major impact on the outcome of a baseball game, and both the speed and the orientation of that wind matter.
Roth noted that wind blowing from home plate to center field will help the ball carry further, creating more home runs. Alternatively, a strong wind blowing toward home plate can turn a would-be home run into an out.
The tiny force of winds didn’t stop these players from playing out the rest of their game, and the parents got a good laugh too!
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