Overview

• The towering dust wall plunged the Phoenix metro area into darkness as it swept through on Tuesday.
• Utilities reported thousands of customers without electricity after fierce winds struck the grid.
• Phoenix airport temporarily suspended takeoffs and landings during the worst of the storm.
• Drivers encountered near-zero visibility, with a motorist in Arizona City saying her car was engulfed and shaken by gusts.
• The peak intensity lasted about 15 minutes, and residents reported fine dust infiltrating homes through small cracks.