Sudden Haboob Sweeps Through Maricopa County, Grounding Traffic and Reducing Visibility

Phoenix, AZ (August 26, 2025) - A powerful dust storm, locally known as a haboob, rolled across Maricopa County early Tuesday afternoon, prompting a National Weather Service warning and forcing motorists to seek shelter as visibility plummeted to near zero.

A wall of swirling dust advanced rapidly from the south, engulfing stretches of Interstate 10 and other major roadways, where drivers reported being unable to see more than a few feet ahead. The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office advised residents to “drive only if necessary,” and to pull off the roadway, turn off headlights and taillights, and keep their vehicles stationary until conditions improved.

Traffic cameras captured scenes of stalled cars and jackknifed trucks along the highway, with the Arizona Department of Transportation temporarily closing segments of I-10 between Chandler and Goodyear due to multiple minor collisions. Local hospitals treated several motorists for dust‐related eye and respiratory irritation, though no serious injuries were reported.

“We’ve never seen it come in that fast,” said meteorologist Emily Santos of the National Weather Service’s Phoenix office. “Wind gusts reached 45 mph, lifting vast amounts of fine sediment from the desert floor and reducing visibility almost instantly.” The dust advisory remained in effect until early evening, when a shift in wind direction gradually cleared the air.

Observers likened the towering brown wall to storm footage from past monsoon seasons, with drivers describing a “rolling dune” overtaking the freeway. Schools in southern Phoenix issued early‐release dismissals, and Sky Harbor Airport experienced several flight delays as crews worked to sweep runways clear of accumulated dust.

By late Tuesday, winds abated and the haboob had dissipated, leaving behind a fine layer of dust on vehicles and infrastructure. Air quality monitors recorded a sharp spike in PM₁₀ concentrations during the storm’s peak, though levels returned to moderate by nightfall.

Local officials urged residents to prepare for similar events during Arizona’s monsoon peak, reminding drivers to heed dust‐storm safety guidelines: pull off the road, turn off lights, keep seatbelts secured, and wait for the storm to pass.