Photographer captures beauty, power of Arizona monsoons
Sep 23, 2014, 12:47 PM | Updated: 12:47 pm
Everyone in Arizona knows monsoons can provide a breathtaking picture at one moment and a highly dangerous situation the next.
The seasonal storms bring much-needed moisture to the state, but also knock out power, flood roads and can send massive dust storms through town, especially during rush hour.
While we’ve all seen plenty of Instagram, Facebook and Twitter photos of the storms, none have been as beautiful as this video put together by photographer Mike Olbinkski.
His video, “Monsoon,” is nothing short of beautiful. He captures so many different cloud types and storms that it’s impossible to believe they all happen over the Arizona deserts.
It’s also a little intimidating to watch these huge storms grow and pound the state with rain, lightning and dust.
This year, the Valley was brutally reacquainted with the power these storms hold. On Aug. 13, a portion of Dobbins Road was turned into a river during a downpour. A few days later, part of Interstate 17 was underwater after a nearby wash overflowed.
The damage from these storms — not to mention the remnants of Hurricane Norbert — prompted Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer to seek federal relief. Local businesses also reached out to residents who needed help.
Despite the damage, some Arizonans used the huge rainfalls to enjoy some water activities.
KTAR’s Jim Cross and Newsroom and the Associated Press contributed to this report.