A scary sight in Scottsdale today as a palm tree goes up in flames.
"We heard this incredible clap of lightning and thunder and I saw the last glimpse of the lightning hit the tree and saw the fronds from the palm tree flutter down," said Joe Schillinger, who works across the street near Scottsdale Road and the Greenway-Hayden Loop.
Schillinger captured video of the flames on his cell phone.
"The flames grew very, very big and they were starting to flirt with this building. Some of the employees in the building got on the roof to make sure none of the fronds were falling and going to catch the roof on fire," he said.
Scottsdale fire was able to put it out quickly.
Mother Nature swept through the East Valley too. Heavy rain covered the ground, leaving some roads flooded. One spot near the loop 202 and Mill Avenue actually got hail. The icy stones fell for about 5 minutes.
The storm took down a huge tree along McClintock just south of Baseline in Tempe. It blocked traffic for miles until crews were able to chop it up.
Despite power outages in other parts of the valley, the power poles and lines in Tempe are all in working order tonight.
