Phoenix looked more like a scene out of a disaster movie Monday evening when a towering wall of dust — known as a haboob — swallowed the city whole. Within minutes, daylight vanished, visibility dropped to almost zero, and chaos erupted across the Valley.
Residents shared jaw-dropping footage of the storm as trees were ripped from the ground, power lines snapped, and thousands of people were plunged into darkness. At one point, more than 60,000 homes and businesses lost electricity, most of them across Maricopa County.
The storm didn’t just stop traffic — it nearly shut down Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Officials issued a ground stop, leaving planes unable to take off or land as the massive wall of dust rolled over the runways. A connector bridge at the airport was shredded by 70 mph wind gusts, and passengers were warned of delays lasting more than half an hour.
Police in nearby Gilbert, Arizona, also sounded the alarm, reporting downed trees, broken traffic lights, and dangerous road conditions. Authorities urged drivers to avoid travel altogether, warning that visibility was so low, you could barely see the hood of your car.
Meteorologists say this dust storm was fueled by collapsing thunderstorms that scooped up desert soil and blasted it into the sky, forming a rolling wall of dust thousands of feet high. Locals described it as being trapped in a desert blizzard — but with choking dust instead of snow.
And it’s not over yet. More storms are forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday, paired with scorching triple-digit heat that will make conditions even more unbearable.
For Phoenix residents, it was a stark reminder: in Arizona’s monsoon season, the weather can flip from sunshine to survival mode in seconds.