Monsoon Season especially in Oro Valley area - Please respond! (tornadoes, pool)

[SluggoF16]

The monsoon is something to look forward to. A couple summers in the 90s in Tucson we had "non-soon". Just treat the storms for what they are: watch for flowing water in washes, respect the lightning, keep possible projectiles (lawn furniture) secured, and enjoy the show. As a bonus, a couple years I never added water to my pool, with a floating solar cover it lost less to evaporation than the rain added.

I miss monsoons, and the smell of the desert after a rain. We have something like it here in SW OK right now, called The Fifth Season, but it can be a bit more damaging

[Annilyna]

Monsoons are a nice break from the summer heat, IMO and awesome to hear while safely inside What also is great fun are the occasional lightning/electrical storms. Last year (or was it two years ago? I forget exactly) there was a crazy one happening towards the north (I live in Marana and the entire Northern night sky was 4-5 lightning bolts per second for over an hour). It was amazing!

[HTY483]

Originally Posted by AZJoeD

Sometimes they bring rain, sometimes they are dry, but the generally do not last long and do little damage.

The only damage done is to the nitwits that try to cross the washes in their 4x4 trucks and SUV's. Next thing they know their $10k vehicle with it's $30k suspension is tumbling end over end down the wash. Dont drive through the washes when they're flooded and you'll be fine. Dust storms bring limited visibility but honestly if you can deal driving in fog then you can easily deal with driving in a dust storm.

[Colt AZ]

Originally Posted by Daisypups

First, I have never experienced a monsoon storm before and to be honest they kind of scare me. What is considered the monsoon season? We are coming out in July to check out a few retirement communities in the Oro Valley area and to experience the heat and we'll probably experience a storm, too. I would so appreciate hearing from residents who have experienced a monsoon storm and describe what it is like to go through it. I have seen some YouTube videos from the 2012 monsoon that did quite a bit of damage. Saw one yesterday of a storm along with the dust coming through Phoenix - yowzers! Are there special things one does to keep the dust out of the house? Are most retirement communities built such that you don't have to worry too much about water coming into the house? Is it like going through a small hurricane with winds that gust up to 60-80 mph? I guess you just hunker down until its over and then come out from under the bed (that's where I'll be with the dog!) and access any water damage or tree loss. I want this to be a successful trip and not come away feeling we can't deal with this. Is there any part of AZ that escapes these storms? So, if you go up to Prescott or Flagstaff to escape the heat during July-August, in particular, you won't escape the monsoon season? Thanks to all for your input!

Originally Posted by AZJoeD

Typical misunderstanding fueled by the national media that likes dramatic photos. Monsoon storms are little more than the equivalent of thunderstorms in other parts of the country. Sometimes they bring rain, sometimes they are dry, but the generally do not last long and do little damage. The really bad ones may leave a coat of dust on your house and car, you may even have to go inside for a few minutes to get out of the dust.

The first year we moved here, we would sit out by the pool and watch the storms roll in, free entertainment.

I personally think you are overly concerned. I do not know where you live now, but I am sure they have storms there, you are just used to your type of weather.

You do not have to "hunker down" and you certainly do not have to leave the valley to escape the storms. You may want to leave the valley to escape the heat, but there are millions of people that stay here all summer long and they just deal with it.

True.

Our ratings-hungry national media (which knows neither squat nor zilch about Arizona) loves to sensationalize everything under the sun. The so-called "Weather Channel" is number one for weather entertainment and hyping up any suggestion of a "weather storm" -- also for ratings.

The Monsoon can be windy and loud, and will cause flooding from time to time, but regardless of what those TV tabloids proclaim, just look or walk outside and that's where YOUR real "weather" is!

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by Colt Cassidy

True.

Our ratings-hungry national media (which knows neither squat nor zilch about Arizona) loves to sensationalize everything under the sun. The so-called "Weather Channel" is number one for weather entertainment and hyping up any suggestion of a "weather storm" -- also for ratings.

The Monsoon can be windy and loud, and will cause flooding from time to time, but regardless of what those TV tabloids proclaim, just look or walk outside and that's where YOUR real "weather" is!

You make a good point. Monsoon rains are very localized. There was one evening last July when there were two swift water rescues in the Arivaca/Amado area. In the southern portion of Green Valley which is about four miles north, you could see all the lightning but there was no rain at all.

The Tucson airport could be dry and downtown flooding.

[LordBalfor]

Monsoon is my FAVORITE time of year - by FAR.
I LOVE IT!
Drop dead gorgeous sunsets, beautiful nighttime lightning displays, some refreshing rain - what's not to like?
Momma Nature puts on a show.


Ken

[LordBalfor]

Originally Posted by jlawrence01

You make a good point. Monsoon rains are very localized. There was one evening last July when there were two swift water rescues in the Arivaca/Amado area. In the southern portion of Green Valley which is about four miles north, you could see all the lightning but there was no rain at all.

The Tucson airport could be dry and downtown flooding.

Yup. Monsoon rain is HIGHLY localized. The failure to realize that is the biggest misconception out-of-the-area-people have about the monsoon.

Ken

[SluggoF16]

Originally Posted by Colt Cassidy

True.

Our ratings-hungry national media (which knows neither squat nor zilch about Arizona) loves to sensationalize everything under the sun. The so-called "Weather Channel" is number one for weather entertainment and hyping up any suggestion of a "weather storm" -- also for ratings.

The Monsoon can be windy and loud, and will cause flooding from time to time, but regardless of what those TV tabloids proclaim, just look or walk outside and that's where YOUR real "weather" is!

So true... look at the Oklahoma threads; you'd think this place was something out of The Chronicles of Riddick, with daily tornadic events. Like the scorpion threads in the Arizona forum, everything in OK is about tornadoes. ("Will I be swept away in dramatic fashion like in Twister?") My wife, a native Okie, has seen one tornado in her life, and her hometown featured prominently in the aforementioned movie. A lot of hype; The Weather Channel's been going on and on this week about tornadoes everywhere. So what happened two days ago? Nothing. A local TV station's weather motto is "We don't scare you, we prepare you", and unless it's a biblical catastrophe they just rely on the ticker scrolling across the bottom of the screen, yet another one will break in to regular programming with news of the end of the world courtesy of one rotating supercell.

Monsoon is nothing to worry about; the only issue I ever had with it growing up in Phoenix was the aftermath of a dust storm. I worked at a YMCA and we lifeguards would either rock-paper-scissors or rochambeau to see who would vacuum the Olympic-sized pool after a strong storm (our pool was directly west of a baseball diamond and dirt parking lot). The monsoon storms were VERY localized; the northern end of Tortolita near El Camino del Cerro (when I lived in Tucson) could be very wet from a storm and my place at the south end could be bone-dry.

[Colt AZ]

Originally Posted by jlawrence01

You make a good point. Monsoon rains are very localized. There was one evening last July when there were two swift water rescues in the Arivaca/Amado area. In the southern portion of Green Valley which is about four miles north, you could see all the lightning but there was no rain at all.

The Tucson airport could be dry and downtown flooding.

Yep.

Originally Posted by LordBalfor

Yup. Monsoon rain is HIGHLY localized. The failure to realize that is the biggest misconception out-of-the-area-people have about the monsoon.

Ken

Double yep.

Originally Posted by SluggoF16

So true... look at the Oklahoma threads; you'd think this place was something out of The Chronicles of Riddick, with daily tornadic events. Like the scorpion threads in the Arizona forum, everything in OK is about tornadoes. ("Will I be swept away in dramatic fashion like in Twister?") My wife, a native Okie, has seen one tornado in her life, and her hometown featured prominently in the aforementioned movie. A lot of hype; The Weather Channel's been going on and on this week about tornadoes everywhere. So what happened two days ago? Nothing. A local TV station's weather motto is "We don't scare you, we prepare you", and unless it's a biblical catastrophe they just rely on the ticker scrolling across the bottom of the screen, yet another one will break in to regular programming with news of the end of the world courtesy of one rotating supercell.

Monsoon is nothing to worry about; the only issue I ever had with it growing up in Phoenix was the aftermath of a dust storm. I worked at a YMCA and we lifeguards would either rock-paper-scissors or rochambeau to see who would vacuum the Olympic-sized pool after a strong storm (our pool was directly west of a baseball diamond and dirt parking lot). The monsoon storms were VERY localized; the northern end of Tortolita near El Camino del Cerro (when I lived in Tucson) could be very wet from a storm and my place at the south end could be bone-dry.

Wow, and triple yep!

[Cyber Surfer]

Last year parts of Arizona got hit with some pretty bad floods, don't forget what happened in Phoenix. Also in Kingman we had real nasty flood to the point where my apartment and car outside had flood damage, it ruined the engine to my old Hyundai so the insurance had to cover the damange and I had to buy another car with what I had. Heck, even the place I work had flood damage and a couple collapsed spots on the roof.

It was never designated as a flood zone until recent, unless it was a once in a while fluke I'm stocking up on sandbags and parking my car on higher ground in case monsoon wants a rematch.