Heavy monsoon rains to flood the Southwest into this weekend Some locations could see a month's

[applegrove]

Heavy monsoon rains to flood the Southwest into this weekend

Some locations could see a month’s worth of rainfall in hours.

The Weather Service's estimate for rain totals over the Desert Southwest. (WeatherBell)

By Matthew Cappucci at the Washington Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2021/07/23/monsoon-rains-desert-southwest-thunderstorms/

Today at 3:25 p.m. EDT

"SNIP.....

Some of the nation’s driest desert landscapes are set to get inundated into this weekend. Much of Arizona, New Mexico and parts of the broader region are under flash-flood watches as heavy monsoon rains target the

Widespread showers and thunderstorms will develop across the Southwestern U.S. on Friday as a wave of low pressure moves by. Those storms could contain torrential downpours and some severe weather, inundating the ordinarily parched landscape.

A few areas could pick up a quick 2 to 4 inches of rainfall through Saturday evening. Some storms could contain rain falling at rates of 2 inches per hour. These rates can easily cause flooding, given already wet soils that don’t absorb much rain.

“Considering we’re in a pretty extensive drought, the fact that we have this moist air mass capable of very high rainfall rates could lead to some significant flooding,” said Grant LaChat, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Phoenix.

.....SNIP"

[applegrove]

1. Stay safe.

[malaise]

2. Enjoy the rain

and stay safe

[Hugh_Lebowski]

3. Bring it on!

While, of course, hopefully nothing severe happens. Soils are pretty sandy in these parts, and very parched. Floods that do property damage are fairly rare, and deaths even more so.

Usually any deaths are from people stupidly driving into places they shouldn't.

[vsrazdem]

4. I've been smiling all day in this weather; 75 degrees right now in Phoenix. It is a very pleasant

change from 115. I even made broccoli cheese soup in the middle of summer. My grandson, however, who works outside as a lot attendant at a dealership is not smiling.

[applegrove]

6. Phoenix didn't pave everything like Houston did? I hope not. Here is to minimal

floods.

[asiliveandbreathe]

5. This rain has been absolutely splendid here in NE Mesa AZ..our heavier rain

from overnight has given way to a steady to drizzle rain all day..lovin' it!! We sure did need it..last week at this time our little community suffered some damage from very gusty winds..not this time, calm and steady...much needed..

[applegrove]

8. I hope it is enjoyable the whole time.

[keithbvadu2]

7. Hey! Use some of Donald's nuke weather bombs to move the storm north to feed the Colorado River area

Hey! Use some of Donald's nuke weather bombs to move the storm north to feed the Colorado River area.

[11 Bravo]

9. This damned Climate Change hoax is getting dangerous!

[Solly Mack]

10. We spent April, May, and into June under flash-flood warnings.

Raining daily. Heavy rains. Roads flooded, bayous overflowing, rivers rising up and over, the swamps blossoming onto dry land, houses - especially mobile homes - damaged by rising water.

People had to be rescued because the only way to get to them was by boat - even when the water didn't make it inside the house, the homes rested on cinder blocks or stilts, allowing the yard to become a pond and the home an island.

Our rainy season here is in the Winter and early Spring. Not late Spring and into the Summer. The land is usually cracking from the heat by now and it isn't.

The drainage ditch at the bottom of my driveway always fills up during a heavy rain - and it is usually something to behold. Life carries on with frogs and turtles coming to the once dry grassy areas that are now nutrient rich waters filled with tiny fish, tadpoles, and all manner of bugs.

Then the birds come - egrets, storks, pelicans, and whooping cranes. All looking to eat the fish, frogs, and lizards.

I can see it all from my front porch. One of the reasons I bought the home.

But this year the water started inching up the hill, getting closer and closer to the yard. We worried about our driveway getting washed away - another common sight this year.

We bought on higher ground because of possible flooding. Glad we did but now I wonder if we are high enough.

I've been in this area for 10 years and the last two have been crazy weather-wise. Multiple hurricanes have hit us, flooding, and one of the worst power outages I have ever experienced. Took months to get power back in some areas.

I hope for everyone safety. Please take care.

[applegrove]

11. Love your description of the critters that take advantage of the rain and a newly

created "pond". I hope you get the water you need and no more.

[Solly Mack]

12. It is something to see. Especially the birds.

Me, too, applegrove. I hope that for all.

Thanks.

[royable]

13. Considering there are many months, and even months in a row, that we have no rainfall at all,

in parts of Arizona and the desert Southwest, the statement in the article, "Some locations could see a month’s worth of rainfall in hours" is pretty meaningless.
But, that said, this month's rainfall at our home in Tucson has already exceeded last year's total rainfall of about 4 inches by far.

[applegrove]

14. The map attached to the article had scarry red zone. I guess if you normally get no rain in the

summer, a month's worth is not that much.

[former9thward]

15. AZ normally does get rain in the summer.

June and July are called the Monsoon season where we get occasional heavy rain.

[applegrove]

17. Thanks.

[royable]

16. Well, we DO normally get rain in the summer, in a weather pattern known as monsoon season.

Much of our year's rain typically comes from the monsoons between late June and early September. Last year, the monsoon weather pattern never developed and we got almost no rain during those months.
Except for those getting flooded out or discovering roof leaks, I think most people here are welcoming the summer rain this year.

[applegrove]

18. Thanks.

[MLAA]

22. I'm a Tucsonan as well, and hoping for gobs of rain tomorrow and

that nobody suffers property damage and nobody drives into a flooded cross road or wash!

[JustAnotherGen]

19. Good luck folks - stay home if you can

5 inches in my town in NJ last Saturday. Lived out here for just under 8 years and I've never see a flood rescue in our town until last weekend. Had to walk down to the little grocery for green tomatoes - water was pouring down retaining walls.

[A HERETIC I AM]

20. Just let a shitload fall upriver from Lake Powell.

Fill lakes Powell and Mead again.

I’m curious if any study has ever been done as to how much water a major hurricane drops in total. Because that’s what the Colorado river basin really needs; A couple good hurricane sized water dumps to fill the lakes.

[StarryNite]

21. A good old fashioned monsoon rain in Arizona.

I'm lovin' it! 1.5" so far in the north valley of the sun. We really need this rain. But people do need to use their heads and not try to cross running washes. Doing so can turn out badly and even result in death.

The "stupid motorist law" is a law in the U.S. state of Arizona that states that any motorist who becomes stranded after driving around barricades to enter a flooded stretch of roadway may be charged for the cost of their rescue. ~ wikipedia

[bahboo]

23. send some to SoCal pretty please....

[FirstLight]

24. Send some north to the CA NV border!

Tamarack Fire is only 4% comtained...

I'm praying/drumming for Rain under the Full (smoky) Moon tonight!