ASU employees capture viral time-lapse of haboob
ASU Football staff brave storm to film viral video
A viral video of a massive dust storm over Mountain America Stadium in Tempe was captured by two ASU football employees, who braved high winds to get the shot. FOX 10's Lindsey Ragas has this story.
TEMPE, Ariz. - A time-lapse video of a massive dust storm rolling over Mountain America Stadium has gone viral, and it was captured by two Arizona State University football employees who were in the right place at the right time.
The backstory:
Callum Norrie, director of creative video for ASU football, said he and his co-worker were moving equipment Monday night when they spotted the wall of dust, estimated to be up to 8,000 feet tall.
"As soon as I saw it I called up my assistant, Chris, who is upstairs in our office, and I was like, 'prep a tripod, camera, SD card and a battery as soon as you can and get out here, because there's a sick opportunity for a time-lapse here,'" Norrie recalled.
Norrie said he had to lean on the tripod to keep it steady in 40-mph wind gusts to ensure the shot was not ruined.
"I was just very committed to getting that shot," he said. "I knew it'd be something awesome, and hopefully the fans would like it."
Massive dust storm hits Sky Harbor Airport
Monsoon storms caused chaos all across the Valley on Monday, including at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, where a massive wall of dust was spotted, causing flights to be temporarily grounded.
Big picture view:
The video, which has been viewed by millions, was complemented by a behind-the-scenes video by Taylor Hansen, the team’s director of photo and graphics.
"I've always heard about the monsoons and, like, haboob, dust storms, whatever you call it," Hansen said. "That's the first one I've seen come across the Valley, like a complete wall."
The commitment from both employees paid off, with the video being shared by major media outlets including The Today Show, Sports Illustrated and The New York Times.
"It's cool to showcase how unique Arizona is," Norrie said, "and where else are you going to get something like that on your stadium and in your town?"