Nearly 10 million people across the Southwest face a threat of flash flooding as heavy rain moves through Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and parts of Colorado.
The danger was already visible Wednesday in Tucson, where firefighters responded to three swift-water emergencies in 25 minutes, according to the Daily Mail.
At the first scene, crews extended an aerial ladder over rushing water to rescue a driver stranded on top of a partially submerged car. Minutes later, firefighters and a neighbor pulled another driver from the Alamo Wash after floodwaters swept them from their vehicle. Security guards helped a third person escape a torrent nearby. Two of those rescued were taken to hospitals.
The National Weather Service warned of heavy rain and possible flooding across the Four Corners region. AccuWeather forecast 2 to 4 inches of rain for Phoenix and Tucson before Friday, with isolated locations potentially receiving as much as 12 inches.
“A foot of rain across the region is a 1-in-1,000-year event and though we do not expect widespread rainfall of 12 inches, it is certainly possible locally,” AccuWeather meteorologist Tyler Roys told the Daily Mail.
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That distinction matters: The forecast does not call for a foot of rain everywhere. But intense downpours can send water rushing through streets and washes within minutes, especially where dry ground cannot absorb it quickly enough.
Drivers should never enter a flooded roadway. “Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles,” the National Weather Service said in the statement quoted by the Daily Mail.
As the rain continues, let’s pray for everyone facing flooding, for those displaced or injured, and for the firefighters and other emergency responders putting their lives on the line to bring people to safety.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
