Thunderstorm Wind — Maricopa, Arizona

2008-08-28 · near Tempe, Maricopa, Arizona

Event narrative

In Tempe, an 18 year-old man was injured by a falling tree. Winds on the ASU campus were measured at 69 mph and severely damaged the indoor football practice facility.

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 → (33.4000, -111.9300)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 123256. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.