WeatherFanatics: Dust Storm Covers Phoenix; More Than 10,000 Lose Power

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Dust Storm Covers Phoenix; More Than 10,000 Lose Power

August 11,2015

A dust storm, also known as a haboob, moved into Phoenix around 9:45 a.m. local time Tuesday, turning the sky red.
The DOT warned drivers that visibility would be close to nothing, and they should be prepared to pull off to the side of the road. After the dust storm passed, the Arizona Department of Transportation reported no haboob-related accidents on the freeways near Phoenix.
Wind gusts over 40 mph were reported in the Phoenix area, including a gust to 52 mph at Sky Harbor airport at 10:01 a.m. MST. A 59-mph wind gust was reported near Deer Valley, the highest wind speed recorded during the event.
More than 10,000 customers lost power in the Phoenix area, according to energy provider APS. Several inbound flights were diverted at the time of the dust storm as well. The Arizona Republic reported some minor tree damage during the dust storm.
(MORE: What Is a Haboob?)

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Arizona DOT ✔ @ArizonaDOT

Blowing dust in the East Valley along US 60 east of Gilbert. #PullAsideStayAlive

12:27 PM - 11 Aug 2015

People stood by their office windows and watched the thick wall of dust move across the region.

“The impetus for today's Phoenix haboob began as a pair thunderstorm clusters over northwest Mexico early in the morning moved northwest, combined their outflows and surged into southern Arizona,” said weather.com meteorologist Jon Erdman. "According to the National Weather Service, Phoenix experiences an average of about three haboobs a year from June through September. Across the state, more than 100 dust storms have been reported in the past decade."

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