It had barely been seen before in the Illawarra, and has not been seen since.
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The red dust storm that descended on the region in 2009 was exactly seven years ago on Friday.
Fairfax Media reported at the time the air conditions were 35 times worse than during bushfire, the worst the Hunter had recorded.
Flights were grounded and shipping movements, guided by orange beacons obscured in the eerie haze, ground to a halt.
How it was reported on the day
The Illawarra woke to a thick red haze this morning unlike anything seen in recent history after gales blew dust from the state's west over the region.
The sky turned a fiery red at dawn as the sun struggled to pierce the thick blanket, which descended on the region in the early hours of this morning.
Cars were caked with dirt, houses and footpaths tinged in red and backyard pools filled with mud as the storm reduced visibility to just 500m in some areas.