Mother Nature can be a real bitch sometimes. Last night at around 7:30 p.m., she tricked Valley residents into thinking the world was coming to an end by blowing a giant cloud of dust over greater Phoenix.
Our contacts dried out. Then, orange-y spots of wet dirt started clinging to our favorite shirts. That was followed by a shortness of breath, and then, the sun disappeared.
Thankfully, however, the world didn't come to an end. Last night's apocalyptic scare was nothing more than an unwanted haboob that ruined dinner.
Check out a slideshow of the action here and a selection of dusty videos after the jump.
Haboob is an Arabic word for dust storm that Americans find funny because of the whole "boob" thing (think cockpit or the name Mike Oxlong). It is, by far, the best-named natural occurrence in weather. But all kidding aside, haboobs can be dangerous because everything gets "hella dark."
Last night in Buckeye, winds were so strong they left a Fourth of July fireworks tent "in shambles" and apparently blew a giant donut balloon off a Dunkin' Donuts roof. At lest that's what the following dude saw.
Naturally, the best thing to do in case of a dust storm is film it while driving on the highway. Several Phoenicians heeded that advice last night and managed to pick up some gnarly b-roll.
Fog lights? Who needs fog lights?
