A Tucson Police officer crosses Golf Links Road by one of the multiple utility poles snapped off near Mann Avenue in the monsoon storm that swept through Tucson, Ariz., July 28, 2023.

β€œWe haven’t seen damage this widespread” in years, a Tucson Electric Power spokesman said Saturday, after a series of storms Friday evening brought wind gusts over 60 mph, snapped more than 40 power poles, uprooted big trees and reportedly damaged some buildings around the metro area.

At the peak of the resulting power outages, more than 56,000 TEP customers were in the dark. Power was restored to about 40,000 overnight but approximately 16,000 were still out Saturday morning.

β€œThe magnitude of the damage we’re seeing and the work we’re going to need to do to get everyone back in service is considerable,” said TEP spokesman Joseph Barrios.

Cooling centers around the city have been made available by both Pima County and the city of Tucson for those affected.

Jose Guerrero, of Jose’s Landscapes and Maintenance, uses a chainsaw to cut down branches of palo verde trees that were blown over at the MSA Annex after a monsoon storm brought gusts of winds and hail to the Menlo Park neighborhood Friday night.

Two ice distribution centers have also been set up. One is at Kino Sports Complex, 2500 W. Ajo Way, south of the main entrance and on the corner of Forgeus Avenue and East Milber Street. The second is in the Chuze Fitness parking lot at 5550 E. Grant Road.

TEP had more than 450 active repair jobs and expects work to last through the weekend, leaving potentially thousands without power.

A great amount of stress has been put on Tucson’s grid in efforts to reroute power, Barrios said. Until restoration and repairs are complete, TEP is asking customers to conserve use as much as they can, particularly Saturday afternoon and early evening.

This β€œwasn’t what you would call a typical cellular storm. This was more of a line of storms that moved into the city,” said Marc Singer, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Tucson. β€œIt’s not like there was one discrete cell that came across town, it was kind of a conglomeration. ... When you get a line like that, on the front of it, you usually get really strong winds kind of announcing its presence.”

The severe thunderstorm warning was first issued by the weather service just before 6 p.m., with a second issued about 6:30 p.m. In total, NWS tallied 17 hospitals, 314 schools and over 750,000 people in the storms’ path.

Tucson International Airport had wind gusts of 64 miles per hour. Due to the storm’s multi-celled nature, locations throughout the metro area measured wind speeds anywhere from 30-50 miles per hour.

Emergency personnel walk by one of multiple utility poles snapped off along Golf Links Road near Mann Avenue in the monsoon storm that swept through Tucson, Ariz., July 28, 2023.

At Davis-Monthan Air Force Base wind gusts of 62 miles per hour were measured before downed trees and power poles caused outages for its lodging and dormitory residents, according to a post made to the base’s official Facebook page. As of about midnight their power was fully restored.

Tucson Parks & Recreation tweeted photos of massive trees felled in various parks, some with large root systems ripped from the ground and upended; it didn’t say which parks. City crews will be busy on cleanup and repairs, the department noted.

Residents throughout the metro area also took to social media to post photos of downed trees, some of them blocking streets immediately after the storms, and of hail they variously described as being quarter- to golf-ball-sized.

Rainfall was widespread. The weather service measured 1.26 inches at Oro Valley Public Works, 1.18 inches at East Speedway and North Craycroft Road, and .44 inch at East Catalina Highway and North Houghton Road.

A palo verde tree is uprooted at the MSA Annex after a monsoon storm on Friday night brought strong gusts of wind and hail causing many trees and branches to break in Tucson, Ariz. July 28, 2023.

Some Tucsonans also tweeted that they had damage to their homes or properties, including at a condo complex in the area of East 22nd Street and Kolb Road, and to a roof in the Bear Canyon/Snyder Road area.

Winds knocked three power poles to the side and β€œtwo of them are now leaning against our apartment building near Ft. Lowell and Country Club,” a resident tweeted Friday night.

β€œPretty scary. A nearby power pole was on fire. There was all kinds of popping and zapping going on up and down the street, then a final zap: No power. Camino Seco & Broadway area,” wrote another.

β€œIt was a spectacular, vicious storm,” tweeted a resident near Speedway and Camino Seco, adding: β€œI’m grateful to the folks that are out repairing whatever happened. Be safe, all.”

Widespread rain, wind and hail ripped through Tucson and surrounding areas July 28, leaving tens of thousands without power. Video courtesy of the University of Arizona.

Become a #ThisIsTucson member! Your contribution helps our team bring you stories that keep you connected to the community. Become a member today.