A massive, 50-mile wide dust storm overtook Phoenix, Arizona on Tuesday night, knocking down power lines, delaying flights and blanketing the air with a blinding layer of dust. While the magnitude of the storm was unusual -- a National Weather Service spokesperson told The Associated Press that many residents described the dust storm as the worst they'd seen -- dust storms are a frequent occurence across the world. Below are some amazing photos of what happens when powerful winds and dust combine.
Motorists drive along 16th Street during a dust storm in Phoenix, Ariz. July 5, 2011. Visibility was reduced to zero in some areas as wind gust blew near 40 miles per hour on Tuesday.REUTERSMotorists drive along Arizona State Highway 51 during a dust storm in Phoenix.REUTERSCustomers sit outside a Starbucks Coffee cafe during a dust storm in Phoenix.REUTERSVisitors make their way amid a sandstorm at a scenic spot on the outskirts of Shijiazhuang, Hebei province on April 30, 2011.REUTERSPeople travel in a vehicle during a heavy sandstorm in Ajdabiyah, Libya on April 17, 2011.REUTERSU.S. Army pilot from "Dustoff" team, C Company, 1-214 Aviation Regiment, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade runs to cover from a sandstorm at Camp Dwyer in Helmand province, Afghanistan on April 12, 2011.REUTERSBlack and orange dust clouds engulf Kuwait City, Kuwait on March 25, 2011REUTERS
