Featured Image Credit: @cassandrarules/Twitter
Topics: US News, Conspiracy Theories
Callum Jones
Mysterious white dust falling from the sky in parts of the US is sparking some wild conspiracy theories on the internet.
As we are all aware, strange happenings can bring out some wild conspiracy theories - a lot that are totally unbelievable.
While they may be no Baba Vanga, these theorists can gain a lot of traction on social media platforms such as TikTok.
The latest comes after residents of West Virgina and Maryland shared reports online of an unusual dust falling from the sky.
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On 23 February, people in that part of the US were hit by the odd substance, with it coating their cars and outdoor furniture.
As you'd probably would expect with an unknown substance, residents were encouraged to stay inside until more information was known.
However, it was quickly discovered that the dust was not harmful in any way, so people began scrapping it off their belongings that were covered in it.
Local authorities have since carried out a detailed investigation into what the substance may be, but no answers have been provided as of yet.
DC News Now meteorologist Damon Matson has gave his best guess as to what it could be.
He said: "This is likely dust from the desert southwest, a very strong storm system causing all the wintry weather across the northern US and severe weather in the southern US.
"It picked up the dust on the back side of the storm and dragged it across the country.
"The dust remained elevated in the atmosphere as the storm remained strong."
As there are no definite answers from the experts, this has led to TikTok users coming up with their own reasons as to what the dust is.
Some users in Maryland have claimed that small planes were seen overhead dropping the powder.
"My friend in Maryland saw a small plane dropping white dust this morning. Something weirds going on," one user claimed.
Others made comparisons to the one of the biggest films to be released in 2023 so far, Cocaine Bear.
In a comment under a video posted by the user @stevensaysstuff, one person joked that the powder is a pretty incredible marketing stunt for the much talked about film.
And some speculated that the dust could be residue from the recent Ohio train derailment, where a fire started in more than 12 of the carriages due to toxic chemicals on board.
But this theory has been quickly shut down by officials, with the West Virginia Department of Environmental saying there is no link to the derailment and the substance.