Watching an Arizona monsoon storm from the safety of your own home can be an awe-inspiring experience, but if you’re caught outdoors during one, here are some safety tips:

Here are some tips to help you protect yourself and your family when a big storm hits:

Outdoors:

Lightning is attracted to metal and water, and often strike the tallest objects.

YOU ARE IN A STRIKE ZONE IF YOU HEAR THUNDER FIVE SECONDS OR LESS AFTER YOU SEE LIGHTNING!

• Stay away from wide, open areas such as fields and golf courses.
• Stay off hilltops and other high points of land.
• Don’t stand near trees or tall poles
• Get at least 7 feet away from tall objects
• Avoid metal objects such as golf carts and clubs, lawn mowers and pipes.
• Get to the lowest point of ground you can, and kneel or squat to minimize your contact points with the ground.
• Do not lie flat. This will make you a bigger target.
• Don’t huddle with others. Spread out at least 15 feet apart.
• Remove golf shoes or steel-toed boots.
• If you’re out on the water, get to land.
• If you’re in a pool, get out.

Downed Power Lines:

• Stay at least 100 feet away
• If the power line has fallen on your car while you’re in it, don’t touch anything metal in the car, and stay inside until professional help arrives.
• Never try to help someone trapped by a power line. You endanger your own safety. Instead, call 911 immediately.

Indoor Safety:

• Stay away from windows during strong winds. Tree limbs and other objects can be a hazard.
• Electrical wiring attracts lightning. Don’t use the telephone, except for emergencies.
• Lighting can move through a home’s plumbing, attracted to the metal or water. Don’t use using sinks and showers.
• Unplug computers, tv’s and other delicate electronic equipment. Consider attaching surge protectors to such equipment.

Driving Safety:

In Dust:

• Don’t enter a dust storm if you can avoid it.
• Turn headlights on and drive a slow and prudent speed.
• If you pull off the road, get as far to the right as possible. Turn off the car and headlights, and set the parking brake. Keep your foot off the brake pedal – other drivers may think you’re a car is moving.

In Rain:

• Rain reduces traction and causes streets to be slippery.  Slow your speed accordingly.
• Water on roads may be deeper than it looks. Watch for vehicles travelling too fast. They can throw up blinding sheets of water.
• Don’t cross rain-swollen washes. You can be caught in a flash flood that can sweep you and your vehicle away.
• Pay attention to hazard signs and roadblocks. Ignoring them threatens life and property, and can result in enforcement action by police.

Stuck in a wash: It is possible to lose control of a vehicle in 6 inches of water. Most vehicles will begin to float in 2 feet of water.

• If you have a phone, call 911.
• If you can, climb onto the roof and wait to be rescued.
• If the water is still low and you can wade to safety, do so, but beware of floating debris

admin Articles, Monsoon Damage

In Arizona, as in other regions of the world including India and Thailand, we experience a monsoon, a season of high temperatures, high winds, and high moisture, resulting in potentially deadly weather. The term “monsoon” comes from the Arabic “mausim” meaning “season” or “wind shift.”

When Is Arizona’s Monsoon?

Up until 2008 Arizona’s monsoon varied from year to year in starting date and duration. The Arizona monsoon officially began after the third consecutive day of dew points above 55 degrees. On average this occurred around July 7 with the monsoon continuing for the next two months. In 2008 the National Weather Service decided to take the guesswork out of monsoon start and end dates. From now on June 15 will be the first day of the monsoon, and September 30 will be the last day. They did this simply to take the focus off whether or not a storm was considered a monsoon storm or not, and have people be more concerned with safety.

What Happens During Monsoon?

Monsoon storms range from minor dust storms to violent thunderstorms. They can even spawn tornadoes, though that is very rare. Typically, Arizona monsoon storms start with heavy winds sometimes resulting in a visible wall of dust hundreds of feet high moving across the Valley. These dust storms are normally accompanied by frequent thunder and lightning often leading to heavy downpours. Monsoon rains average about 2-1/2″, about 1/3 of our yearly rainfall.

Is there Damage During Monsoon Storms?

Serious damage can occur from high winds, or from debris being tossed by those high winds. It is not unusual for trees to be downed, power lines to be damaged, and roof damage to occur. As you might imagine, homes that are not as sturdy, like some manufactured homes, are more susceptible to wind damage. Power outages for short periods of time are not uncommon.

What About the Roads?

When such high volume rain descends upon the Valley of the Sun, the ground and most especially the surface streets flood. Most roads in the area are not built to drain water quickly since such rain is too rare to justify the extra costs involved in constructing an elaborate drainage system. Quite often the rain pools on streets during and for a few hours after monsoon storms causing dangerous driving conditions. The worst areas for flooding are the many washes in the area, small gullies where heavy rains drained off the land long before roads were built through them. That’s where drivers will normally encounter signs cautioning against crossing the road when flooded. Even if the water rushing across the road looks only an inch or two deep, it may very well be so deep that vehicles, including high clearance trucks, stall and get stuck in the wash. Firefighters and other rescue workers generally have to be called in to rescue motorists stuck in washes before their vehicles are covered by the unexpected deep runoff. Those rescuers are usually accompanied by television news helicopters capturing the rescue on videotape to be broadcast, sometimes live, as a warning to others. That’s only the beginning of the humiliation trapped drivers face. In Arizona, under the so-called “Stupid Motorist Law”, municipalities and rescue agencies can charge people for the cost of being rescued if they fail to observe posted warnings.

Monsoon Grammar

The word “monsoon” refers to a season by definition, and should not really be used with the word “season.” In addition, meteorologists don’t use the plural of the word monsoon. Although there are dictionaries that indicate that the plural of “monsoon” is “monsoons” the following is the proper rule.

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