Monsoon returns with a vengeance, bringing rain, lightning, dust and hail to parts of Arizona

PHOENIX - Wednesday night saw a return of monsoon activity, which brought rain, blowing dust, and lightning to parts of the Valley.

During the 8:00 p.m. hour, rain began to fall in parts of the Valley, with ADOT cameras along the East Valley freeways capturing rain. Later on, ADOT camera captured blowing dust along Loop 202 in the East Valley.

SRP officials are reporting at least 14,000 customers without power in parts of the East Valley, as a result of the storm. APS officials are reporting that over 5,000 customers are without power in various parts of the Valley.

The monsoon also brought down trees in parts of the Valley. In one neighborhood in Glendale, a car was crushed by a tree that fell during the storm.

Elsewhere, roadways were flooded, stranding some drivers who were caught in the floodwaters.

Earlier on Wednesday, a storm brought hail to parts of Flagstaff during the afternoon hours.

Throughout the afternoon, people posted photos and video of falling hail on social media. In one video, hail was seen blanketing the ground.

In another video, taken in a residential neighborhood, hail is seen flowing down a sloping street like a river.

Other parts of Flagstaff received rainfall, according to social media posts made by Flagstaff residents.

Meanwhile, officials with the National Weather Service say the Flagstaff area had a 54% chance on Wednesday for thunderstorm activities, with forecasts calling for frequent lightning, gusty winds, heavy rain, and quarter-sized hail possible.