Thunderstorm Wind — Maricopa, Arizona

2008-08-28 · near (phx)sky Harbor Arpt, Maricopa, Arizona

$2.0M

Property damage

65 MG

Magnitude

Event narrative

Easterly winds gusted up to 65 knots at Sky Harbor airport. Several aircraft and at least one terminal building was damaged, with debris blown onto the runways and adjacent areas. About 500 people were stranded in the terminals overnight due to flight delays and power outages.

Wider weather episode

Several waves of severe thunderstorms moved westward across the central and eastern portions of Maricopa County. Upper level winds were stronger than usual, and copious moisture combined with warm temperatures allowed storms to redevelop well into the night. Winds over 80 mph were noted in parts of Phoenix and Tempe. Nearly continuous lightning was also observed during the peak of the activity. Fortunately, no fatalities were associated with these severe storms.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (33.4400, -112.0100)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 123253. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.