50-mile wide, mile-high dust storm engulfs Phoenix
50-mile wide, mile-high dust storm engulfs Phoenix
'We heard from a lot of people who lived here for a number of storms and this was the worst they'd seen,' meteorologist says
PHOENIX — The air around the Phoenix area was a hazy shade of brown and a layer of dirt coated cars and buildings Wednesday following a massive dust storm overnight that was up to 50 miles wide.
The huge dust wall that crossed the metro Phoenix area drastically reduced visibility, halting all flights coming in and out of Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport Tuesday night.
Flights returned to normal on Wednesday after a few were canceled, some were diverted to other airports and a dozen were delayed, said airport spokeswoman Julie Rodriguez.
A barrage of dust set off fire alarms in the terminal but crews quickly cleared the mess from the storm, known as a "haboob," she said.
Winds ripped up trees, tossed around lawn furniture and caused hazardous driving conditions.
The storm knocked out power to about 9,400 Salt River Project electric customers, The Arizona Republic reported.
The National Weather Service said strong winds with gusts of more than 60 miles per hour moved the dust cloud northwest through Phoenix and the cities of Avondale, Tempe and Scottsdale.
Wednesday morning, the white roof over Chase Field, the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks and the venue for next week's Major League Baseball All Star Game, was coated with thick, brown dust.
The National Weather Service in Phoenix said there is a slight chance of thunderstorms Wednesday evening including blowing dust.
Tuesday's storm was part of Arizona's monsoon season, which typically starts in mid-June and lasts through September.
The dust cloud that moved across the Phoenix valley had formed in an afternoon storm in the Tucson area, and then rolled north across the desert before sweeping over the city like an enormous wave, said National Weather Service meteorologist Paul Iniguez.
Radar data showed the storm's towering dust wall had reached as high as 8,000 to 10,000 feet, or nearly 2 miles, he said.
"This was pretty significant," Iniguez said. "We heard from a lot of people who lived here for a number of storms and this was the worst they'd seen."
By the time the dust cloud neared the metropolitan area, it had started to dissolve but it still towered over the city with a wall of at least 5,000 feet, according to the weather service.
KSAZ-TV in Phoenix reported the storm appeared to be roughly 50 miles wide in some spots, and it briefly blanketed the city's downtown at around nightfall.
Phoenix's fire department received 720 emergency phone calls during the dust storm and fire crews handled over 320 incidents during the same time period, NBC News reported.
The Arizona Republic reported winds also downed live wires in Tempe that sparked a fire at a busy intersection. Firefighters later extinguished the blaze.
'Grit in your teeth'
A woman in Phoenix, who had parked in a lot to escape the storm, told TV station KTVK, in a video posted on its website Azfamily.com, that she had never seen a storm like it in the 20 years she has lived in the area.
"The grit in your teeth right now ... I just hear crunching," she added. "It is amazing (the storm). It's the most amazing thing I have ever felt in my life."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43650426/ns/weather/
