Destructive overnight storm hits most of the Valley, brings rain, wind and dust

PHOENIX — A destructive monsoon storm hit most parts of the Valley on Thursday night, dropping significant amounts of rain, starting several lightning-caused fires and lowering temperatures.

Ahead of the rainfall, a miles-wide dust storm rolled in around 8 p.m., dropping visibility to less than a quarter of a mile in some areas across metro Phoenix.

Thunder, lightning and rain began south of the Valley and made its way through almost every city, which led to power outages to tens of thousands of residents.

As of 6:30 a.m., thousands of residents remained without power, according to Salt River Project and Arizona Public Service.

Varying amounts of rainfall were recorded at gauges across the Valley, with several north of Phoenix recording the most amounts, between 1.5-3.4 inches of rain.

Sky Harbor Airport, where the National Weather Service takes its official readings, is now at 0.13 inches of rain this monsoon season, up from .06 inches before the storm hit, meteorologist Ryan Worley said. The airport also recorded wind gusts of 73 mph.

East of Lake Pleasant, near 67th Avenue and New River Road, authorities helped a man out of a wash after his sports utility vehicle was swept away in flood waters, the Phoenix Fire Department said. Technical rescue teams were still searching for the man’s dog.

Monsoon Storm ⛈️

Firefighters responded to multiple water rescues throughout the night. Crews did an amazing job helping those involved get to safety and onto higher grounds.

Remember, never drive through flooded areas or through barricades.

Turn Around, Don’t Drown pic.twitter.com/SpkCOt3XEr

— Daisy Mtn Fire & Medical (@DaisyMtnFire) September 1, 2023

Several lightning-caused fires started and services were also impacted as a result of downed power lines.

A microburst took down multiple poles this afternoon, impacting service in the Rimrock area. If monsoon activity causes an outage in your area, visit https://t.co/lOrJ4YKePb to manage alert preferences, view our outage map and find safety tips. pic.twitter.com/X9LxgNaId1

— APS (@apsFYI) September 1, 2023

Gainey Ranch Scottsdale AZ lightening started fire. pic.twitter.com/Sb4zzBh5h1

— Scottsdale Fire Department (@ScottsdaleFire) September 1, 2023

What to expect in the Valley throughout the day?

Worley said that though most of the showers have pushed out of the Phoenix area, there are still lighter showers that could pop up throughout the afternoon and night.

“Right now, we still have around a 70% chance of seeing some rain in Phoenix,” Worley said.

“Looks like the heaviest activity might be further west in western Maricopa County, and La Paz and Yuma counties, as well. But, still pretty good chances that we might get to see some rain around here tomorrow.”

Main impacts could include small hail, blowing dust, lightning and downpours, NWS said.

4:15 am Radar Update: Showers and thunderstorms will continue to move north across SE AZ early this morning. Coverage and intensity of storms will increase later today. #azwx pic.twitter.com/NhUOOBXzJT

— NWS Tucson (@NWSTucson) September 1, 2023

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Jim Cross contributed to this report.

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