TEMPE, Ariz. – A dramatic video shared from Tempe shows the moment when straight-line winds tore through a backyard as a microburst pummeled the Arizona city early this week.
According to the National Weather Service office in Phoenix, straight-line winds during the powerful supercell thunderstorm reached between 80 and 90 mph – as strong as a Category 1 hurricane – when the storm wreaked havoc in Maricopa County across portions of Guadalupe, Tempe and Scottsdale on Monday afternoon.
This animated image shows a powerful storm tearing through a backyard in Tempe, Arizona, on Oct. 13, 2025.
(Alexander J McClure via Storyful / FOX Weather)
Numerous trees were uprooted and brought down onto homes, and several units of a local business complex were destroyed when the winds blew in garage doors and tore roofs away from structures.
As the storm was making its way across the region, Alexander J. McClure captured video of the intense storm as damaging winds ripped across his backyard and heavy precipitation fell from the sky.
The video also shows winds from the storm damaging pool furniture.
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According to Tempe Mayor Corey Woods, “well over” 130 people were displaced because of the storm, and tens of thousands of utility customers lost power.
“There was a record amount of damage that actually took place (Monday), so it’s going to take some bit of time to really make sure that we can get all of this cleaned up and get everything restored as it was,” Woods said at a news conference on Tuesday.
Arizona and the Southwest experienced numerous rounds of extreme weather recently, leading to water rescues when heavy rain led to flash flooding across the region.
