Severe Thunderstorms and Strong Winds Cause Power Outages
All Flights Suspended for One Hour at the Airport
A massive dust storm reminiscent of scenes from science fiction or disaster movies swept through the inland state of Arizona in the southwestern United States. On August 27, Yonhap News, citing foreign media such as the Associated Press, reported that a powerful dust storm known as a haboob struck the city of Phoenix the previous day, causing widespread power outages and paralyzing transportation, resulting in significant damage.
On that day, Phoenix was hit by such an intense dust storm that visibility was nearly zero, and the city was brought to a standstill in an instant. Approximately 60,000 households across Arizona experienced power outages, operations at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport were suspended, and vehicles temporarily stopped moving in accordance with weather service warnings.
Videos taken in the area show a massive wall of yellowish-brown sand and dust, several tens of meters high, sweeping over the entire city like a cloud, creating near-zero visibility at ground level-a scene straight out of a science fiction film. Immediately after the dust storm, severe thunderstorms and strong winds toppled street trees, leading to widespread power outages. According to PowerOutage, a U.S. site that tracks power outages, more than 15,000 households and commercial facilities in Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, reported losing electricity.
At Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, gusts reached 113 kilometers per hour, damaging bridges connecting buildings and parts of terminal roofs. Due to safety concerns caused by the strong winds, all aircraft takeoffs and landings were suspended for about one hour. Local residents faced difficulties going out and moving around. Police in the nearby Gilbert area of Phoenix reported, "Traffic lights went out and trees fell throughout our jurisdiction."
The haboob dust storm is a phenomenon that occurs in Arizona's desert regions during the summer, caused by strong seasonal winds resulting from high temperatures and low humidity. Powerful updrafts in the atmosphere lift dust and sand from the ground, forming the storm. Although the wall of dust from a haboob can be seen from a distance, its rapid movement leaves little time to avoid it, so experts advise caution when outdoors or driving. Local media such as CNN reported, "While dust storms are common during Arizona's monsoon season, this particular storm was especially intense," adding, "The wind swept up desert soil to form a massive wall of dust, resembling a winter blizzard."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
