A haboob hits the Valley: Phoenix residents share their best photos

One of Arizona's famous dust storms hit the Valley on Thursday afternoon, and social media had a ton of great photos.

August 22, 2024

A photo of a 2012 haboob in the Valley Alan Stark / Creative Commons

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No, that giant cloud of dust gobbling up the East Valley does not mean the end times are here. It’s just a haboob.

The huge dust storm rolled into Mesa around 4 p.m. Thursday. Valley residents took to social media to post pictures and videos of the haboob, a unique Arizona weather event that never fails to inspire a little bit of awe and terror.

Here are some of the best shots they shared.

Driving into the haboob.#arizona pic.twitter.com/brGhrvReRM
— Adam (@AdamAssets) August 23, 2024

Dust storm moving into Phoenix Metro. This is view from SE Valley. From Jason Morrow. #azwx #azfamily pic.twitter.com/13hm5oSmg5
— Ian Schwartz (@SchwartzTV) August 22, 2024

Mesa, Arizona Monsoon Haboob - Thursday, August 22, 2024 4:13 PM pic.twitter.com/lHoYElS93D
— John Dille (@JohnD_PHX) August 23, 2024

Giant dust storm engulfing the east side of Phoenix right now.👀Photo taken from the 16th floor of my office building in Tempe.🌫🌪#Haboob pic.twitter.com/wKYn3a64JM
— Jason Roar (@raornosaj) August 22, 2024

We are currently seeing a lot of dust in the east Valley.

You should NEVER drive into a dust storm, but if you get caught in one, remember to Pull Aside, Stay Alive! pic.twitter.com/dnkCAI88rt
— Arizona DOT (@ArizonaDOT) August 22, 2024

@FoxNews @FOX10Phoenix Haboob! pic.twitter.com/FfkX0G3D6C
— Dave Dytrt (@Watrlogd) August 23, 2024

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TJ L'Heureux is a staff writer for Phoenix New Times where he’s primarily focused on news since September 2023. Before joining the New Times staff, TJ worked at Arizona State University's Howard Center for Investigative Journalism. He was also recognized for best community service project/reporting in the 2023 EPPY Awards. TJ holds a master's degree in investigative journalism from Arizona State University and a bachelor’s degree in public policy and Latin American studies from the University of Chicago.

Contact: TJ L'Heureux

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Twitter: @tjlheureux0