What In The World Is A 'Haboob' And Why Is It So Dangerous For Arizona Travelers?

In late August 2025, a massive wall of dust surged through central Arizona against the backdrop of thunderstorms, burying Phoenix and surrounding metro areas in a choking haze. Power was knocked out for nearly 40,000 residents in Maricopa County, flights were grounded, transportation was disrupted, and the storm's 70 mph wind gusts downed trees and caused widespread damage — including a collapsed connector bridge at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. As quickly as it arrived, the "haboob" left. Meteorologists reported the dust storm began forming in southern Arizona around 3:30 p.m., swept through Phoenix by 5:30 p.m., and dissipated within the hour as it pushed north, leaving behind stunned residents and a trail of destruction.

During Arizona's summer, local forecasters often use the word "haboob." The term, derived from the Arabic word "habb" meaning "to blow," originated in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, where massive dust storms occur frequently averaging 24 per year. In the 1970s, a group of American scientists published a paper proposing that Sudan's dust storms were very similar to ones occurring around Phoenix. Eventually, American meteorologists began using the word, adding it to the vernacular – alongside the Arabic word "monsoon," — as well as the American Meteorological Society's glossary.

The 1971 scientific paper that proposed the term "haboob" described vast dust storms formed by multiple thunderstorm cells. As the cells collapse and spread, they merge into a massive front, appearing as a solid, towering wall reaching heights of up to 8,000 feet. Haboobs are most common during the North American monsoon season, an annual summer weather pattern that forms when warm land temperatures create high pressure, drawing moisture from the Pacific, shifting winds and creating thunderstorms. The thunderstorms collapse and produce intense downdrafts, which in turn kick up massive haboobs.

Put simply, a haboob is an intense sand or dust storm typically triggered by powerful downdrafts from collapsing thunderstorms. In Arizona and other parts of the American Southwest, these are most common during the summer months, between June and September. Though all haboobs are dust storms, not all dust storms qualify as haboobs, Sean Benedict, lead meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Phoenix, told National Geographic. Most major dust storms in the Southwest are haboobs, due to their association with thunderstorm patterns. Haboobs can tower thousands of feet high, stretch for miles, and travel hundreds of miles at 50 to 80 mph, instantly obstructing visibility. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, dust-related traffic incidents caused 232 deaths in the U.S. between 2007 and 2017 alone — highlighting how dangerous these events can be and how important it is to prepare for natural disasters.

While the haboob that hit Phoenix in August 2025 was notable for the way it engulfed a major metropolitan area, such events aren't uncommon. Phoenix experiences about three haboobs annually, but they're projected to increase in frequency and intensity as the climate warms. Phoenix, one of the sunniest cities in the U.S., is particularly vulnerable due to the urban heat island effect – a phenomenon in which cities trap heat due to concrete, asphalt, and limited vegetation, making them significantly hotter than surrounding rural areas. With rising global temperatures, the Southwest is increasingly experiencing worsening extreme weather, like heat waves and haboobs. Just two days prior to Phoenix's August 2025 haboob, videos went viral showing a massive dust storm that swept through Burning Man, the desert festival held near Black Rock City, Nevada. This storm destroyed tents and other structures and disrupted thousands of festivalgoers.