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Covering the Heart of Hamilton County Since 1983

Heat II

The last time we were talking about our monsoon season. This is when late in the afternoon we are hit with a wall of dust followed by a short period of very intense rain. Temperatures can drop a good 20 degrees in minutes. All this can cause severe flooding and you can be guaranteed that your vehicles will be covered with spots of mud if you left them outside. Now technically, they declare the monsoon as having started when the average dew point reaches 55 degrees or higher for three consecutive days. This normally happens sometime early in July and can run for as much as two months. I haven’t a clue as to how they determine when it ends, but I usually just stick my hand out the window in the evening, and if it comes back clean and dry I’m assuming the rainy season is over and I can now go and wash the mud off our vehicles. I’m not even sure that this three-day rule applies all the time. This year we had several early storms, before they officially declare that our monsoon season had started. The rain is spotty when it does occur. Some areas of town might get an inch or more in an hour, while others barely get a drop. I’ve actually seen it pour on one side of the street and be totally dry on the other side.

Now the natural desert has what are called washes. After several months of no rain and a blazing sun, the desert floor becomes hard. When we have a lot of rain in a short period, rather than soaking in all the water, the excess runs off and collects in these washes. Since all this was a desert at one time, when they develop property, it is important that they maintain these washes. In some places, they run streets so that they channel the runoff. In other places, they maintain the integrity of the original wash and keep it separate. Frequently, they will use these as parks or riding trails, but be warned, get out of them at the first sign of a storm. All over, in housing areas, shopping centers and along roadways, you’ll find catch basins designed to hold rainwater to keep it out of the sewer systems. These are also landscaped and some serve as a local play area. A lot of these larger washes run across roads, some are bridged others are not. Again, one has to use caution when approaching these since a wall of water can be coursing its way down what looks like a dry wash. Worse, you think the water is only a few inches deep when you drive in it, but find that it is really five feet deep and your car is only four foot, nine inches tall. Frequently they’ll find the car a few hundred yards downstream, and its occupants a few days later a mile or two away. We have what we call the “stupid motorist” law. That being if anyone needs rescuing after circumventing flood barriers, they pay the full cost of their rescue, and usually their insurance won’t cover the damage because it is self-inflicted.

The hottest day on record was an official 122 degrees at the Phoenix airport. That happened on June 20, 1990. One could tell it was hotter than usual since your feet would kind of sink into the asphalt in the parking lot rather than just stick a little. Air traffic was halted because the airplane charts didn’t go high enough and they weren’t sure there was enough runway length for them to take off. Around here, you’ll find people circling in a mall parking lot for a half-hour just to find a parking spot near an entrance. One goes from an air-conditioned house to an A/C car then to an A/C store. You never leave that environment for more than a minute or two as you run from one to the other. These summer storms frequently cause power outages, mostly from lightning strikes. You can call the power company and they will give you an estimate as to when they will restore power in your area, then you do what any sane individual would do, you head out to a store that still has power and you suck up as much of their A/C as you can. If the estimate is more than a few hours, you usually wind up at a movie. Hey, just because we live in this heat doesn’t mean that we don’t know how to deal with it sensibly.

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