{"id":177219,"date":"2025-08-26T14:21:09","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T14:21:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/177219\/"},"modified":"2025-08-26T14:21:09","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T14:21:09","slug":"arizona-dust-storm-engulfs-phoenix-bringing-power-outages-and-flight-delays-arizona","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/177219\/","title":{"rendered":"Arizona dust storm engulfs Phoenix, bringing power outages and flight delays | Arizona"},"content":{"rendered":"

A powerful storm kicked up a towering wall of dust that rolled through the city of Phoenix<\/a>, Arizona, on Monday, darkening the sky, blinding drivers, knocking out power and damaging one of the nation\u2019s busiest airports.<\/p>\n

The dust storm, known as a haboob, is pushed by the wind and produced by a weather front or thunderstorm. It typically occurs in flat, arid areas. The storm came from the south-east, and was followed by heavy rain, wind and lightning.<\/p>\n

Bernae Boykin Hitesman was driving her son and daughter, ages nine and 11, home from school when the storm arrived late in the afternoon in Arizona<\/a> City, about 60 miles (95km) south-east of Phoenix.<\/p>\n

She had to quickly pull over as the storm engulfed her car. \u201cI couldn\u2019t see my hand in front of my face if I put my hand outside,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Boykin Hitesman said she could taste the dust and feel the strong wind rattling her car until it finally passed about 15 minutes later.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was nervous,\u201d she said. \u201cMy kids were really, really scared, so I was trying to be brave for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Richard Filley, a retired university professor who lives in Gilbert, said the dust storm caused the trees to sway and knocked bird feeders to the ground. Fine dust found its way through \u201cevery little crack and space\u201d into his house, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe windstorm part of it, I\u2019m glad it\u2019s gone,\u201d he said. \u201cYou look at the photos of haboobs and they are a spectacular natural phenomenon. They are kind of beautiful in their own way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Heavy rain and wind followed Monday\u2019s haboob, delaying flights at Phoenix<\/a> Sky Harbor international airport and causing some damage to the airport.<\/p>\n

\u201cCrews have been identifying leaks and attempting to clean up water where it has collected in passenger areas,\u201d Heather Shelbrack, the airport\u2019s deputy aviation director for public relations, said in an email.<\/p>\n

Tens of thousands of customers in Maricopa county lost power.<\/p>\n

Phoenix has been drier than usual during the monsoon season, while parts of south-east and north-central Arizona<\/a> have had a fair amount of rain, said Mark O\u2019Malley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Phoenix.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut that\u2019s typical for a monsoon, very hit and miss,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The forecast for metro Phoenix calls for a 40% chance of rain on Tuesday before drying out, O\u2019Malley said.<\/p>\n

The storm comes just days after the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert was hit by dust storms and high winds.<\/p>\n

Footage shared on social media by attenders showed intense winds,<\/a> dust storms<\/a> and collapsed tents<\/a>.<\/p>\n