Last night the remnants of Tropical Storm Lowell poured down on southeast Arizona. Water ran down mountain slopes and filled washes to overflowing. Our son G, was coming to spend the night with us after a long day at work. As he was heading home around 10:15 p.m. the news was reporting that police had closed Sahuarita Rd due to heavy flash flooding and the need to rescue 3 passengers from 2 vehicles caught in a flash flood between Kolb and Wilmot Rd. on Sahuarita Rd. Our son was coming up Houghton, but he also was diverted there by police due to flash flooding. The only solution was to drive back to I-10 and exit on Sonoita Highway, a diversion of approximately 15 miles.
This morning as I headed to the grocery store in Sahuarita. I decided to grab my camera on the way out. The sunny skies of this morning gave no hint of the downpours from last night, but across Sahuarita Road in various locations the mud, sand, rocks, and debris were evidence enough of last night's torrent. I stopped to photograph this car at the location were I think the rescue took place. You can see the mud line part way up the side of the car. Water still stands alongside the road and cars proceeded slowly over the deep sand and gravel.
On my return trip from the store the red car was gone. Some of the mud had already dried and the road crews were making their way eastward from Sahuarita with a caterpillar scraper to clean up the road. Soon all of this will be sand piles on the side of the highway drying in the desert sun.
7 comments:
It's hard for a Minnesotan to reall understand that volume of water in a desert area. I'm glad your son got home safe.
Oh, my! My hubby was over in Phoenix, driving back to our desert, when last night's storm hit! Thank goodness he beat it home! We had a sandstorm here.
Yikes. I guess the ground is so compacted the rain can't soak in? Stay safe--this is one crazy storm season!
The monsoon season is usually winding down about now, isn't it. I've done a flash flood on Sahuarita Rd. once about five years ago. That was quite enough, thank you.
I wonder whether the suddge high rains caused a breeding rush in the birds over there as it is usually dry?
Flash floods are interesting phenomena. We get a few in my area, especially east, in the desert. I find it amazing how a bit of rain can wreck so much havoc in the desert.
I would imagine the land has a great capacity to absorb water where you are.-I'll bet the air must seem really clean out there with the low humidity and the rain washing the air.
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