Olbinski and other storm chasers have been frustrated by an uneventful monsoon, but the Aug. 25 storm looked like it was different. At every stop, Olbinski set up his cameras and shot photos until the storm got too close.

After a very slow start to this year’s monsoon season, metro Phoenix has finally seen some storms this week — including a big one on Tuesday night. But was it a haboob? Or a monsoon? A dust storm? And what does it all mean for this very dry summer?

A monsoon storm followed the wall of dust and knocked the power out for thousands of people in Arizona, according to AZ Central, a part of the USA TODAY Network. Flights were also delayed, and the storm damaged Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Here's what to know.

A large haboob, a type of dust storm, hit Maricopa County on Monday, August 25, bringing heavy rain, wind, and lightning. The storm caused power outages and flight delays at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, with wind gusts reaching 70 mph and rainfall totaling 0.29 inches.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, these storms can whip up walls of dust as high as 10,000 feet.

Mark E. Potts is the senior editor for video at the Los Angeles Times. A native of Enid, Okla., Potts graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a master’s degree in broadcast journalism. He has created and edited video for DreamWorks, YouTube, Microsoft, Sony and BET.