A massive, 50-mile wide dust storm overtook Phoenix, Arizona on Tuesday night, knocking down power lines, delaying flights and blanketing the air with a blinding layer of dust. While the magnitude of the storm was unusual -- a National Weather Service spokesperson told The Associated Press that many residents described the dust storm as the worst they'd seen -- dust storms are a frequent occurence across the world. Below are some amazing photos of what happens when powerful winds and dust combine.

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Motorists drive along 16th Street during a dust storm in Phoenix, Ariz. July 5, 2011. Visibility was reduced to zero in some areas as wind gust blew near 40 miles per hour on Tuesday. REUTERS
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Motorists drive along Arizona State Highway 51 during a dust storm in Phoenix. REUTERS
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Customers sit outside a Starbucks Coffee cafe during a dust storm in Phoenix. REUTERS
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Visitors make their way amid a sandstorm at a scenic spot on the outskirts of Shijiazhuang, Hebei province on April 30, 2011. REUTERS
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People travel in a vehicle during a heavy sandstorm in Ajdabiyah, Libya on April 17, 2011. REUTERS
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U.S. Army pilot from "Dustoff" team, C Company, 1-214 Aviation Regiment, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade runs to cover from a sandstorm at Camp Dwyer in Helmand province, Afghanistan on April 12, 2011. REUTERS
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Black and orange dust clouds engulf Kuwait City, Kuwait on March 25, 2011 REUTERS
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