It's time for the annual reminder

[katiemack Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close katiemack]

There have been various storms rising around the state, from Tucson to Flagstaff, Prescott to the White Mountains....and some folks are unfamiliar with how the landscape here responds to volumes of heavy rain in short amounts of time. The land has trouble absorbing it, and we often have flash floods.

The warnings are posted. Signs are placed before washes, and there are even blockades placed to stop traffic...yet some folks see running water and they think that their car, their SUV, has the right stuff for making it thru.

Water rises and speeds, in seconds. We lose lives here in AZ to flash flooding and folks trying to cross the flooded road, and we have emergency crews who have to risk their own lives to rescue someone who made this poor judgment.

That is also why we have the Stupid Motorist Law here. If someone is dares a water crossing and draws emergency personnel to them because he/she is stranded now, they have to pay a fine for that bad decision.

So if you come to visit AZ, please use caution, and please take care of yourselves and your loved ones during our rainy season, and please don't take unnecessary risks....you can make up lost time, take a detour or sit and wait it out, but please be safe.

[Fern Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Fern]

We had a flash flood a few days ago. There were 32 "swift water rescues." We have many Public Service Announcements which say "turn around, don't drown," but people just don't listen. It rained 2" in 30 minutes on the West side of town (about a mile from Cliffs at Peace Canyon). That's a ton of rain in a short amount of time.

Fern

[Juleen Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Juleen]

KatieMac, I'd also like to add that the lower Arizona deserts has a severe dust storm season. Mainly during the summer months, June through late August, these haboobs (the technical name for high towering walls of dust--not a part of the body <g>) continue to be deadly! These walls of dust can tower hundreds of feet into the air and can be seen as the approach in the late afternoons. IF you are driving in the low desert areas, especially Tucson/Phoenix including the interstate between the two, you may encounter a haboob. Most of the freeway has electronic signs that MAY give you a warning. IF you see dust starting to block vision, pull OFF the freeway or road as far as you can. Turn off your lights and get your foot off the brake pedal! Other cars, seeing your lights, may think you're still on the road and plow into you. We've had large deadly pileups due to blowing dust. Please take these seriously during the late spring to fall months. And, as KatieMac has already shared, desert rain storms can cause washes to turn into death traps. Don't be one of our "Stupid Motorists" who end up having to be rescued. The lucky ones get rescued, the others die.

[gophish Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close gophish]

Katiemac,
thanks for the reminder and caution. I'm sure a lot of folks that don't live where they have flashfloods are probably not aware of the dangers. I also know that a lot of people, for some unknown reason, think that their vehicles are amphibius. It's a caution that bears repeating.
thanks again.