On Oct. 13, Tempe faced one of the strongest storms in its history! What started as a light rain quickly turned into a wild and windy storm called a microburst. Winds blew as fast as 91 miles per hour—strong enough to tear off roofs, knock over trees, and cause power outages for more than 34,000 people. About 130 residents had to stay in emergency shelters for safety. Schools were closed in some areas.

Experts say the storm was caused by the leftover energy from Tropical Storm Raymond, which had brought rain all throughout the week. When winds high up in the sky move in different directions—a weather effect called wind shear can form a spinning storm called a supercell. Inside these storms, cold air drops quickly, hits the ground, and spreads out fast. That powerful
blast of air is what we call a microburst!

Even though the storm lasted only about 10 minutes, it damaged over 1,000 homes, 80 businesses, and an industrial area. City parks lost more than 500 trees, changing the look of many neighborhoods. Police and firefighters were extra busy, answering hundreds of calls for help.

The American Red Cross helped families whose homes were damaged. After the storm, neighbors came together to clean up and support one another, showing that even fierce weather can’t shake the strong
community spirit!