A Monsoon To Remember

The Scottsdale August 6th, 2024 Monsoon

The Forecast

On August 5th, @AZWeatherForce posted a Tornado Watch for most of Central Arizona. He was immediately scorned by several Facebook posters who stated, “This will never happen in Phoenix.”

Source: AZWeatherForce

On August 6th at approximately 9:00 PM, intense storms were heading east to west in Maricopa County. At 9:45 PM, strong winds hit the areas between 90th Street and Via Linda moving west to Scottsdale Road. The area around Lake Marguerite and Via Linda/Via De Ventura saw the most wind damage.

50+ MPH winds were reported during the height of this storm; however, due to the widespread damage, that number might be adjusted. At least 100 trees were uprooted across the area. There were also numerous lightning strikes, and the rain was limited due to the storm’s speed. Hayden Road was partially blocked due to several large, older trees falling into the road. Several sideroads were also impassable as well. Within hours, the City of Scottsdale had landscaping trucks, street sweepers, and bulldozer crews clearing the roads of debris. McCormick Ranch was at the center of this event.

Wind Damage

Was this a tornado or a microburst? Scottsdale is no stranger to either. In 1993, a tornado struck outside Cocopah Elementary School in central Scottsdale. A monsoon storm in 1998 was so large that the term “macroburst” was coined because several microbursts simultaneously hit Scottsdale and North Phoenix.

I spoke with a homeowner who had significant damage to her roof. She stated she thought it was a tornado because she felt the pressure change. She ended up running towards the bathroom when the storm hit. Another homeowner in the area who lost two trees also believed it was a tornado due to the debris all over the area.

At approximately 9:45-10:00 PM, @AZWeatherForce posted the radar of central Scottsdale and stated a tornado was in the area. As of August 7th, the National Weather Service confirmed it was a microburst, not a tornado, that hit central Scottsdale.

This was the most intense storm this area has seen in years.

Additional storm photos and information can be found on my X account.

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