A sandstorm rare in 30 years occurred in Phoenix last night (picture)

A sandstorm rare in 30 years occurred in Phoenix last night (picture) News pictures reproduced from Arizona Republic Tuesday night,...

News pictures reproduced from Arizona Republic

>On Tuesday night, a rare and huge sandstorm swept through the Phoenix area. The sand and dust covered the sky and the sun in its path, as if the end of the world in 2012 had come early. The sandstorm formed around 7:30 p.m. A mile-high and 50-mile-wide dust devil blew through at 30 mph, shutting down Phoenix International Airport for an hour. The powerful sandstorm even blew into the baggage claim area of ​​the airport. Visibility on Highway 10 was down to a few feet at one point. The Phoenix Fire Department received as many as 700 calls for help during the dust storm. Fire brigade spokesman Captain SCOTT WALKER said: "We are prepared. When the dust storm comes, we have a complete set of response measures." The dust storm also caused power supply interruptions in some areas. In TEMPE, police officers worked diligently to divert traffic at intersections that lost power. The dust storm also caused a fire at the junction of RURAL and SOURTHEN, but it was put out immediately. Nine trees were blown down at the intersection of CHANDLER Road and ARIZONA Road in Chandler City. Officers used chainsaws and tow trucks to clear away the debris. According to local reports, they have lived here for 30 years and have never seen such a violent sandstorm.