Which is more correct: Did Allah shower stones after the cities were overturned, or before they were overturned?

The questioner finds it problematic that stones rained down upon Lot's people after they were lifted and overturned. This difficulty has led some exegetes to say that the stoning occurred before or during the lifting, or that it was directed at their travelers, not the residents. However, it seems that stones rained down on everyone, including those swallowed by the earth, and some of them might have remained alive to intensify their torment. This is supported by the frequent mention of stoning in many places in the Quran when their punishment is mentioned. Furthermore, the Quran combines both types of punishment in three instances, mentioning the swallowing by the earth and overturning first, then the stoning, either upon the towns or upon the people themselves. In conclusion, Allah combined two types of punishment for the transgressors among Lot's people: the overturning of the towns, followed by the raining down of stones upon everyone.