Phoenix had a serious story Sunday night as the Republic notes. Monsoon season is just a function of living in Arizona, come July and August you expect it. But I can't help but wonder if the heat island effect is some how causing a few major storms that seem to hit the Valley every summer that are of great intensity than when I was growing up. In the 70's as the Desert Pundit noted you got a storm every afternoon, it was just part of living in Phoenix. But then as Phoenix exploded in size the majority of the storms seemed to by pass the Valley. Now it seems once or twice a summer a major storm larger than normal monsoon storm seems almost drawn to the Valley with severe consquences. I only had one class on geography and geology in college I never studied meteorology, but it seems like the heat island may be intensifying and drawing these super storms into the Valley.