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It rained! Valley residents share their monsoon and microburst shots

Phoenix finally got a big rainstorm, and area residents captured it on their phones.
July 25, 2024
Image: A 2016 thunderstorm in the Valley.
A 2016 thunderstorm in the Valley. Abbee Day/Flickr/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

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Intense winds, heavy rain and bright lightning hit the Phoenix area Wednesday night amid Arizona’s monsoon season, and Phoenix residents took to social media to share what they saw.

According to the National Weather Service, the severe storms produced wind gusts greater than 70 mph and microbursts, which are tornado-looking columns of sinking air within a thunderstorm.

Social media user Sean captured one of these phenomena, which can cause significant damage, on video in west Phoenix. Taken from inside his car, the video shows fast-moving winds and rain filling the dark skies as a gas station seems to lose power because of the storm.

Rick also shared a video of the intense wind, rain and scattered lightning in Phoenix. Palm trees and outdoor lighting fixtures shook with the storm.

Dan shared a stunning photo of a microburst that hit the Phoenix area Wednesday night.

The NWS also warned of blowing dust leading to reduced visibility, heavy downpours and excessive lightning. A post from Tyler showed a dust storm coming into Maricopa County Wednesday night, which he described as a “wall of dust."

Lightning strikes from the storm caused a wildfire in Scottsdale. According to the city, a northern portion of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve would be closed due to the developing fire. Luckily, the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management was able to get the fire contained by Thursday morning.


More damage occurred in west Phoenix as a commercial building collapsed near 43rd Avenue and Van Buren Street. An employee is missing after the warehouse’s roof collapsed during the storm. According to a social media post from the Citizen App, the worker has not been found, and the effort has shifted to a recovery mission.

In Phoenix’s suburbs, Spike captured one of the lightning strikes in impressive detail.

Melissa also shared a lightning strike photo. The bolt had a pinkish hue to it as it pierced the clouds.

Residents also experienced downed trees and shrubbery close to home.

Despite the damage, many residents celebrated the much-needed rain that graced the Valley.

The NWS expects more storms on Thursday afternoon and evening.
Image: Morgan Fischer
Morgan Fischer joined Phoenix New Times as a staff writer in July 2024, covering all things Phoenix and Arizona news. Before joining New Times, Morgan has worked as a national politics intern at The Arizona Republic and as a reporter for News21, among other positions. She holds degrees in journalism and mass communication and political science from Arizona State University, where she also attended Barrett, The Honors College.
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