While Arizona is relatively free of things like earthquakes and hurricanes, we do have our fair share of thunderstorms! These storms generally happen around June and July each year and typically account for around 32% of our yearly rainfall totals. It’s not unusual to see toppled trees, flooded streets, and freaked out pets during this season. Here are some Arizona secrets for staying prepared.
Secure anything in your yard that can be moved by high winds. Umbrellas, trampolines, and pool toys are especially susceptible to being picked up and swept over your walls–never to be seen again! Outdoor furniture can go either way–if it seems heavy, you can probably get away with just pulling it onto your patio and hosing it down once the storm passes. If your outdoor furniture is lightweight it might be safer to just bring it inside during a storm.
Keep your pets safe. Try to get your dogs out to potty early in the day so they can hunker down with you during the storms. You should also get a padlock (or carabiner at the very least) for your gate, as the monsoon winds are notorious for ripping open gates and resulting in an uptick of lost dogs. If your pet is scared of storms, you can experiment with calming treats or thundershirts to help keep his anxiety down.
Don’t drive during a storm. The nice thing about monsoons is that the intense parts of the storm usually pass by pretty quickly. If you are driving and see a curtain of heavy rain and dust headed your way, just pull off to the side of the road and wait it out. Be sure to turn off the lights on your car if you do pull off, otherwise other drivers may follow your tail lights in low visibility situations.
A broken traffic light = a four-way stop. Storms will frequently damage trees, power lines, and even traffic lights. If you come across a broken traffic light, just treat it like a four-way stop and proceed with caution.
Never drive through a flooded wash! Flood waters are notoriously hard to gauge, and Arizona’s Stupid Motorist Law means that you will be liable for any expenses stemming from a rescue if you get stranded. Don’t risk this!
Arizona Monsoons can be intense, so just make sure you’re prepared! As crazy as the storms can get, it’s also a beautiful thing to see everything drenched in rain. You’ll notice the vibrant colors of the desert stand out and it always brings the summer temperatures down a little bit too!
Have you grown to love these crazy storms?
