Gigantic Haboob Engulfs Phoenix Metro Area

PHOENIX, AZ - A towering wall of dust known as a haboob swept across the Phoenix metropolitan area on Tuesday afternoon, plunging parts of the city into near-total darkness and causing widespread disruption.

The storm, driven by outflow winds from an isolated thunderstorm, produced gusts up to 70 mph and reduced visibility to almost zero, forcing motorists to pull over and halting traffic on major roadways. At its peak, the dust wall rose nearly 10,000 feet, resembling a scene from a desert epic as it advanced across neighborhoods.

Emergency services reported that more than 52,000 residents were left without power after the storm downed trees and snapped power lines, primarily in Maricopa County. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport temporarily grounded 62 flights, and part of a terminal roof sustained damage, leading to flooding inside passenger areas. Heather Shelbrack, deputy aviation director for public relations, said crews were “identifying leaks and attempting to clean up water where it has collected in passenger areas.”

Bernae Boykin Hitesman, who was driving her two children home from school in Arizona City, about 60 miles southeast of Phoenix, described the moment the storm hit: “I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face if I put my hand outside… My kids were really, really scared, so I was trying to be brave for them.”

The National Weather Service had issued a dust storm warning for the Phoenix valley until 5:45 p.m. local time, advising residents to “pull aside, stay alive” when visibility dropped suddenly. Hospitals also reported an increase in respiratory distress cases as fine dust infiltrated homes and businesses.

Phoenix’s unusually dry monsoon season contributed to the storm’s severity, with dry soils easily lofted by strong winds. Meteorologist Mark O’Malley noted that while monsoon rains have been hit-or-miss across Arizona, the conditions were ripe for a haboob of this magnitude.

The forecast calls for a chance of isolated thunderstorms and lighter winds over the next 24 hours before humidity levels drop again, offering only brief relief from the lingering dust.