The powerful storm that whipped parts of metro Phoenix with dusty winds and drenching rain cast the area in the spotlight on Aug. 26, with national news media marveling at the "towering wall of dust" and apocalyptic conditions that engulfed the Valley.

The storm also created next-day buzz for many Valley residents.

Retirees Belva Stites and Judy Steffen whipped out their cell phones to compare photos of flooding and damage that they witnessed around their Ahwatukee homes during early Monday evening.

"I've been trimming all morning," said Stites, who lost a Palo Verde tree.

Steffen said she lost two trees in her backyard and an ocotillo in her front yard. "It felt like the whole house was vibrating from the wind," she said. "The rain hitting the window sounded like rocks."

Steffen, ori

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