Monsoon Question (Glendale, Chandler, Gilbert: tornado, work, mobile home)

[sunshinecities]

Can someone tell me more about what it's like during the monsoon season and when dust bows come in - in terms of flooding, traffic, and just in general - in Surprise, Peoria, and/or Chandler area. Thanks very much

[sheena]

Originally Posted by sunshinecities

Can someone tell me more about what it's like during the monsoon season and when dust bows come in - in terms of flooding, traffic, and just in general - in Surprise, Peoria, and/or Chandler area. Thanks very much

It's sometimes a wall of dust and if you get caught in it you can't see anything in front of you. If we get a big down pour the area floods pretty quickly AZ does not have proper drainage. Don't drive through any washes, you will see the dummies stuck standing on their cars. It's basically a thunderstorm but in front is usually a cloud of dust. Sometimes we get a downpour other times just dust.

The NW gets some whoppers, Glendale, Peoria I got hit up there 80% more than I got hit in Gilbert. Fountain Hills and North Scottdale are the worst. Parts of Chandler get hit a worse than others. Queen Creek gets their share also. It's really hit and miss.

[sablebaby]

Monsoon season is one of my favorite times of the year! I love rain and that's when we get the most. Some years aren't as bad as others. But in regular residential areas you won't be affected by much other than storms, wind, some dust and humidity. But like I said it's fun for me! I love a nice BIG storm.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by sablebaby

Monsoon season is one of my favorite times of the year! I love rain and that's when we get the most. Some years aren't as bad as others. But in regular residential areas you won't be affected by much other than storms, wind, some dust and humidity. But like I said it's fun for me! I love a nice BIG storm.

Mine, too, although I have to say it is really sweet when the humidity just suddenly disappears after Labor Day and the mornings are cool again.

[sablebaby]

Yeah, I HATE humidity. And I swear last year's monsoon had a lot of it, I just don't remember it being humid in previous years. It just kinda slapped me in the face last year and I was not a happy camper.

[Boatdrinks]

It can be surprisingly dramatic and violent. Microbursts within the storms have a similar effect to tornados - you'll see a line of downed trees and torn up houses (garage doors banged in, tiles off roofs), and across the street, everything will be fine. It was very strange to me, the first time I saw it - never knew they had weather like that here.

The dust is terrible and also very dramatic - you can see a brown cloud of dust rolling toward you. It happens very fast too. Traffic can be impacted dueu to loss of visability. It can be quite dangerous, rather like driving in dense fog where you can't see far in front of you.

Definitely don't leave your house with your windows open during monsoon. Odds are, you'll come home to find dirt all over your house and things blown around. Seems like almost every afternoon there's a dust storm somewhere during monsoon, so it's best to just assume you'll get one and make sure all your windows are closed before you leave for work in the morning.

[Stumblina]

Okay, this may be a really dump question . . . but what is a "wash"? I've read/heard that several times, but I have no idea what it is! Anyone care to clue me in?

[sheena]

Originally Posted by Boatdrinks

It can be surprisingly dramatic and violent. Microbursts within the storms have a similar effect to tornados - you'll see a line of downed trees and torn up houses (garage doors banged in, tiles off roofs), and across the street, everything will be fine. It was very strange to me, the first time I saw it - never knew they had weather like that here.

The dust is terrible and also very dramatic - you can see a brown cloud of dust rolling toward you. It happens very fast too. Traffic can be impacted dueu to loss of visability. It can be quite dangerous, rather like driving in dense fog where you can't see far in front of you.

Definitely don't leave your house with your windows open during monsoon. Odds are, you'll come home to find dirt all over your house and things blown around. Seems like almost every afternoon there's a dust storm somewhere during monsoon, so it's best to just assume you'll get one and make sure all your windows are closed before you leave for work in the morning.

This is so true!! Great post

[rambrush]

Originally Posted by Stumblina

Okay, this may be a really dump question . . . but what is a "wash"? I've read/heard that several times, but I have no idea what it is! Anyone care to clue me in?

A wash is a dry creek bed.....

I was around in the mid 80's during that storm and we had power lines blown down across I-10 mobile homes blown topsy turby in Tonapah the west side was in very bad shape.
I have heard others talk about earlier times when major storms would come through wash houses into the river bottom and they would be on fire and nothing could be done.
I just happened to be employed in the fire service at the time and we had water up to the bumper of the truck but we got through.
I always loved sitting out back and just watching that wall of dust roll in.

I also happened to be on the Dude Fire in Bonita creek when the micro burst rolled in on us, as many know the results were not pretty.

[vfrpilot]

We had a '100 year storm' in Havasu back in the early '70's. Some friends drove their Toyota thru a wash and the water pushed the car off the road. They literally bobbed along for a quarter mile and got caught in trees before entering the lake. Firemen were able to rescue them(2 women & baby). We truly believe it was a miracle. During the same storm, another car got caught and 4 people were killed. Don't ever drive thru fast running water. It only take 6 inches to push a car off and you can't see the road surface or lack thereof, under the water. Another friend had his pickup parked on a street(not a wash) and the water coming down the street pushed the pickup about 30 yards into a wash. It went a couple miles down to the lake. It was pounded like what a car crusher does.
The washes can fill in minutes due to runoff from mountains and empty just as fast. The term 'flash flood' is can be pretty accurate.
I have to agree with other posters about watching the monsoons. The lightening and thunder are awsome to watch. We get some good 'shows' here in CO, too.