Crews worked through the day to clear downed trees and restore power to thousands after a powerful dust storm swept through Phoenix, Arizona. Miranda Kline told us she’s dealt with snowstorms and tornadoes growing up in Erie, but she’s never experienced anything like this before. She had no idea it was coming until she was already on the highway—and by then, it was too late. 

“I was driving, and I got an alert on my phone, and I looked straight ahead, and I was literally driving right towards the cloud of dust,” said Miranda.

A massive wall of dust swept across the Phoenix metro, reducing visibility to near zero and catching many drivers off guard.

“Once you started hitting more dust, that’s when the wind started to pick up, and I eventually got so deep into the dust storm, there was no visibility. It looked like nighttime—that’s how dark it was,” said Miranda.

The sudden storm downed trees, damaged property, and left thousands without power. Miranda’s car was almost among those destroyed.

“We got home, and my friend was driving the car, and I passed by my car in the parking lot—and there was a tree fallen on the car literally parked in the parking spot next to mine,” said Miranda.

Just when she thought it couldn’t get any worse, the power went out at her home, forcing her to endure the intense Arizona heat.

“We parked on the road because the garage wasn’t opening because the electricity went out,” said Miranda.