A colossal wall of dust has swept across metro Phoenix, bringing with it severe storms that plunged tens of thousands into darkness and disrupted air travel at the city’s airport.
More than 55,000 residents across Arizona were left without electricity during the incident on Monday.
The majority of outages were concentrated in Maricopa County, which encompasses Phoenix, according to data from PowerOutage.us.
Motorists scrambled to find shelter amid strong winds and heavy rain as the formidable dust storm, commonly known as a haboob, approached, rendering road conditions almost impassable.
“You should NEVER drive into a dust storm,” the Arizona Department of Transportation said in a post on the social platform X.
“But if you’re on the road when one hits, PULL ASIDE, STAY ALIVE!”
Departures from the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport were delayed on average about an hour and half due to thunderstorms, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Haboob is the Arabic term for a giant dust storm.
They form as winds rush out behind thunderstorms, whipping up dust.
Some travel hundreds of miles.
Monsoon season in southwestern America typically runs from mid-June to September. Daily downpours are common.
The region typically sees about three haboobs each monsoon season.
