Arizona Storm Crushes Entire Neighborhood in 3 Hours—130 Homeless Overnight

ZMG Breaking News

A powerful microburst struck Tempe, Arizona, displacing more than 130 residents and cutting electricity to tens of thousands across affected neighborhoods. The Tempe microburst hit areas near Southern Avenue and Kyrene Road as Maricopa County power outages spread among Salt River Project and Arizona Public Service customers. An American Red Cross shelter opened at the Escalante Multi Generational Center, providing meals, lodging, and essential supplies. Fire crews used ladder trucks to evacuate residents at damaged complexes, including Century Apartments, as officials assessed unit safety. Dwight Park, Mill Avenue corridors, and the Autoplex Auto Service center sustained notable damage, with debris seen in helicopter video. The National Weather Service issued Flash Flood Warnings until 4:15 p.m. MST after up to 0.75 inches of rain, tied to Hurricane Priscilla remnants.

Transcript

00:00Arizona storm crushes entire neighborhood in three hours, 130 homeless overnight.

00:06A strong microburst hit Tempe, Arizona displacing over 130 residents near Southern Avenue and

00:12Kirin Road and leaving thousands seeking emergency shelter. Power outages hit approximately 34,000

00:18Maricopa County customers, including 26,233 Salt River project outages and nearly 7,000 from

00:26Arizona Public Service. Fire crews used ladder trucks to evacuate residents, including at

00:30Sentry Apartments where trees crushed roofs. The American Red Cross opened shelter at the

00:35Escalante Multigenerational Center with meals, lodging, and essential supplies. It only lasted

00:41five or ten minutes tops, and then it was pretty much done. But then, when we walked outside to

00:46see what happened, our fences are out in the backyard, our giant trees are down, said a Tempe

00:50resident describing the rapid destruction caused by the microburst. Trees, crushing this apartment

00:56complex. More than 130 people now displaced, reported ABC News on the microburst aftermath,

01:02as emergency crews conducted systematic rescues throughout the damaged area.

01:07I don't even know where I'm going to live. My building is uninhabitable, said one displaced

01:12Tempe resident. Dwight Park had uprooted trees and flooded fields. Damage extended along Kirin Road

01:18from Elliott to Baseline, with helicopter video of debris. The Autoplex Auto Service Center sustained

01:24serious damage, with metal roofing and equipment scattered and extensive repairs needed before

01:29reopening. Several complexes near Mill Avenue and US-60 were hit hard. Sentry Apartments evacuated

01:36as officials evaluated which units were safe. The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings

01:41until 4.15pm, Mountain Standard Time, after up to 0.75 inches of rain, including 0.5 inches in 10 minutes,

01:49caused flooding. The destructive microburst was part of systems connected to moisture,

01:54rich remnants of Hurricane Priscilla moving through the Phoenix Valley region. Mobile home parks with

02:01lightweight construction and limited reinforcement were hit hard. Many residents needed Red Cross

02:06shelter. Volunteers provided food, clothing, hygiene items, and supplies, while the shelter coordinated

02:12with insurers, city officials, and relief groups.

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