FINALLY! Rain in Arizona!

[olyinaz]

Man, we have been DRY this past year. Finally got a good monsoon rain today! The wash just behind my house today:





Haven't seen it run like this in years.

Oly

[ollogger]

WOW how much rain did ya get? They say some of the monsoon may be heading up this way, hope so



ollogger

[gak]

Areas out in the flats between Phoenix and Tucson got flooded pretty badly--some of it a real mess--but in my neck o' the Phoenix area we good a great all day soaking. We NEVER have a day like today mid summer. If anything it's usually thunder (and lately just dust) storms that build and then often come and go quickly, sometimes with the danger of lightning in the high country and flash flooding down low if there's any water with it. Today's steady rain was far from our "normal" monsoon and is just what the doc ordered for Arizona. Couldn't have but helped douse some of our fires.

Yes, hope you folks in NM, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming get some of this action.

[Batman1939]

I remember when I used to live in Tucson during the early 60's that you really didn't need bridges over the dry washes most of the year. Then, when the rains came they often washed out the bridges---just when they WERE needed. Then all the idiots decided to try to get across the wash by driving through the floods---only to get stuck and require help to save their lives. Talk about IRONY !

Arizona now has something called the "stupid motorist law" don't they--to penalize folks like this??

[rat patrol]

glad there was enough to send up here too

[olyinaz]

I remember when I used to live in Tucson during the early 60's that you really didn't need bridges over the dry washes most of the year. Then, when the rains came they often washed out the bridges---just when they WERE needed. Then all the idiots decided to try to get across the wash by driving through the floods---only to get stuck and require help to save their lives. Talk about IRONY !

Arizona now has something called the "stupid motorist law" don't they--to penalize folks like this??

I there is something like that, yes. One thing's for sure, people don't have any sympathy for fools who try to drive through a running wash and get into trouble (or worse).

What does catch people sometimes, and it's kind of understandable, is flooding in the city in intersections when the storm sewers can't drain the water off quickly enough. All you see is an intersection under a stop light that's got water in it level with the road and it looks just fine - like maybe one or two inches of water. Well, depending on the grade in the intersection it can be a foot and a half of water! People go plunging in and BAM! - their engines hydro-lock dead. Bent rods and valves etc. And then the car floods with a few inches of dirty water when the hapless motorist gets out which can do quite a bit of damage also.

Back in the old days when the breather sat on top of the carb, way up top in the engine bay, I have to image that this was not so common, but today many cars draw air from the front area or down by one of the fenders etc. Not good for fording!!

I don't know anyone dumb enough to test a flooded wash crossing (it happens every year of course - just saying I don't associate with anyone that stupid), but I know several people who have "enjoyed" a soggy afternoon hydro-lock adventure after simply driving across town, nice and slow even, in our monsoon rains.

Oly

[COSteve]

We got some rain here too. Not a downpour but a decent rain that lasted much of the night; maybe 1/3". Boy could we use it. I just hope that it rained over every one of the fire areas here and in Wyoming.