The simple answer is that the Phoenix official rainfall is reported at Sky Harbor Airport, and Sky Harbor has missed out on most of the rain lately. A perfect example is Tuesday night, when over an inch of rain fell in north Phoenix but just a trace grazed the airport.

Learn more about the latest Phoenix area weather forecast and conditions with Most Accurate Forecast from ABC15.

"It looks like a war zone," said one resident at the retirement community. "I've never seen anything like it."

Storms finally brought some relief and a bit of chaos to the Valley after a lackluster monsoon so far. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport recorded 0.04 of an inch of rain, the first measurable rainfall there this month. But that’s still well below the 0.64-inch average for August at the weather station.

Monsoon storms left a path of flooding and damage across parts of the Valley, including in the downtown Phoenix area early Wednesday morning. ABC15 crews saw vehicles stuck in a flooded underpass at 17th Avenue and Madison Street as additional vehicles either attempted to cross or re-routed mid-block.

Monsoon storms broke Phoenix’s dry spell on Thursday night, and more rain is in the forecast over the coming days.

After weeks of false starts, the monsoon could cut loose this week, with wind and heavy rain possible in parts of Arizona.

A couple tying the knot in Chandler was hoping for some great photos when Monday's monsoon mayhem had other plans so a coffee shop stepped up to help. The planned portrait session for Jamie and Bekka Ham outside was scrapped when the summer storm moved in. A nearby coffee shop owner helped make the day memorable. Sarah Robinson has more.