Phoenix area hit by haboob; outages, airport delays

A massive dust storm known as a haboob swept across the Phoenix metropolitan area on Monday, plunging neighborhoods into darkness, knocking out electrical service for tens of thousands, and forcing airport operations to halt briefly as visibility dropped to near zero. The event, driven by intense monsoon-driven winds, produced damaging gusts, toppled trees and caused localized roof damage, reshaping travel plans and prompting authorities to urge residents to stay off the roads until debris could be cleared and power could be restored.

As the storm approached, a dense wall of dust reduced visibility to a fraction of a mile, complicating driving conditions on major freeways and prompting warnings for motorists to pull aside and wait out the weather safely. The impact extended beyond the roads: a regional ground stop at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport disrupted departures and arrivals until conditions began to improve later in the day, with some flights experiencing short delays after the halt was lifted. In Gilbert, traffic lights went dark as trees and power lines were knocked down, and roofs were damaged in a few homes as winds roared through the area.