Haboob and Severe Thunderstorms Strike Phoenix, Causing Massive Power Outages, Road Closures, and Airport Disruptions

A colossal dust storm, known as a haboob, engulfed parts of metropolitan Phoenix on Monday evening, causing near-zero visibility. This was followed by severe thunderstorms that lashed the city, resulting in downed trees, wind damage, and widespread power outages. At Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, a connector bridge was devastated by 70 mph wind gusts.

The National Weather Service in Phoenix issued both dust storm and severe thunderstorm alerts as the system advanced into Maricopa County on Monday evening. The service warned drivers of dangerously low visibility and advised people to “pull aside, stay alive.”

The Arizona Department of Transportation concurred with this warning, reporting significantly reduced visibility on I-10 and I-17 due to the dust storm and flooding on roadways, urging drivers to exercise caution.

Following the storms’ passage, over 60,000 customers in Arizona were without power, with the majority of outages centered in Maricopa County, according to PowerOutage.us.

For approximately an hour, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport implemented a ground stop, preventing any planes from taking off or landing as a cloud of dust seemed poised to envelop the facility. The airport experienced up to 30-minute delays late Monday night while crews assessed any damage or roof leaks, airport spokesperson Gregory E. Roybal stated.

In Gilbert, Arizona – approximately 22 miles southeast of Phoenix – there were “traffic light outages and downed trees throughout the town,” police reported, advising residents to avoid travel due to hazardous conditions.

Dust storms are a common occurrence during Arizona’s monsoon season; however, this storm exhibited exceptional force. A thunderstorm collapsed, and its winds blasted outward, scooping up desert soil and forming a rolling wall of dust. These walls can reach thousands of feet in height and extend for miles, obscuring the horizon in seconds, similar to a winter blizzard.

Although a haboob’s wall of dust can be seen from a distance, it is often too late to seek shelter once it approaches – especially if you are driving a vehicle. In the worst of these storms, visibility is reduced to just a few feet as the dust obscures light.

The haboob in Phoenix occurred after a weekend dust storm in Nevada that swept through Burning Man, an annual arts event held in Black Rock City, approximately 120 miles from Reno.

As attendees began arriving at the remote desert location on Saturday, strong thunderstorm winds stirred up a dust plume, closing access roads and forcing vendors to secure their tents.

“We had to take our sign down. We weren’t expecting that,” vendor Mike Chuda told CNN affiliate KTVN. “The wind was in such a perfect angle that it was bending our booth forward. So that was pretty wild.”

The Southwest monsoon pattern is not yet over, and the triple-digit heat wave continues. Phoenix received just under a quarter inch of rain with these storms on Monday, and the area has a continued chance of thunderstorms on Tuesday and Wednesday before the threat lessens for the second half of the week. The temperature will rise throughout the week, but dry air will limit the potential for late-week thunderstorms.

This report has been updated with additional information.