News


Print this story | | Comment (No comments posted.) | Rate | Text Size

Stay safe during monsoon season

By Jaime Richardson
Published: Saturday, July 14, 2007 10:10 PM MST


The monsoon season can be a blessing and a curse.

We need the rain and love the scent of creosote after a desert storm but don’t want flooded streets and water-damaged property.

The billowing clouds over the mountains are picturesque and the stuff of artist’s dreams — but the lightning they bring can be dangerous.

Just Thursday, the Green Valley Fire District put out a fire on the top of a palm tree struck by lightning. Imagine looking out your front window and seeing your neighbor’s palm tree lit up like a sparkler. A blessing if you have a good sense of humor; a curse if your house catches on fire.

Either way you look at it, Arizonans have to be prepared to deal with all of the absurdities that come along with this eventful season.

Officials from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department offer the following tips on how to stay safe during a monsoon season storm:


  • Turn off all unnecessary electrical equipment during a storm to decrease the draw on power companies;

  • Keep extra batteries and flashlights handy;

  • Stay off the phone. Even cordless phones can cause a shock if lightning strikes nearby; only use your cellphone in an emergency;

  • Lightning can travel through metal pipes, so stay away from plumbing fixtures;

  • Take signs reading “DO NOT CROSS WHEN FLOODED” seriously;

  • Slow down when driving and pull over if heavy rains impede your vision.

    Though it may seem improbable to remain inside a big metal box during a lightning storm, Division Chief Bill Bohling of the Green Valley Fire District adds that “staying inside your car is much safer than standing next to it, outside in the open.”

    It’s been six days since the official start of monsoon season —— July 8, according to the National Weather Service —— and we’re getting off to a slow start. But spokesperson Craig Shoemaker from the Tucson branch of the National Weather Service, says that this has no bearing on how light or heavy the season will be. Shoemaker says that even if a season has a heavier-than-average rainfall overall, this isn’t a guarantee you’ll see any of it.

    “Because individual storms usually cover a less-than-5-mile radius, and their location is determined by the topography of a region. One Arizona city could have its wettest monsoon season on record, while a community 20 miles away may have its driest,” he said.

    But Green Valley residents don’t have to worry about not getting any rain. The average monsoon rainfall is higher in Green Valley than it is in Tucson, with Tucson’s average coming in at 6.08 inches and Green Valley’s at 8.68 inches. Both cities had a record-setting more than 10 inches in the 2006 season.

    Green Valley’s wettest monsoon season on record was in 1990, when we received nearly 16 inches of rain over the course of a summer.



    • Previous   Next
    News Analysis: Augusta says it’s moving forward   Minivan meets wall

    Article Rating

    Current Rating: 0 of 0 votes!Rate File:

    Reader Comments

    The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of gvnews.com.

    Submit a Comment

    We encourage your feedback and dialog, all comments will be reviewed by our Web staff before appearing on the Web site.
    (optional)
       
    Return to: News « | Home « | Top of Page ^
    		  
    Today's Weather
    Green Valley, AZ


    sponsored by:





    Top Menus