When it rains in Phoenix...

[JRNYMAN]

The Phoenix Metro area is called "The valley of the Sun" both affectionately and officially not because of how hot it gets here but because of the number of days without rain... we get, on average, about 7" per year. Seven inches.... there are lots of places that get that much in a single storm! The lack of rain creates and provides for some interesting and often dangerous conditions. First of all, millenia of dry, hot weather has turned the soil into concrete (well... almost) so when it does rain, even a little bit, instead of soaking into the ground, it doesn't have anywhere to go so it just accumulates - and does so fast!
When a storm is forecast which has the possibility of dropping more than about 1/4", the weather alerts start. Overhead digital signs on freeways, all manner of media, etc. So when a storm rolls through that leaves an inch or so, it's the leading news story because of the flooding and damage that accompanies THAT much rain. It takes days for the water to be absorbed - in fact, the evaporation rate is actually faster than the absorption rate!

Yesterday's storm brought almost 2" of rain to some parts of the valley in about 30 mins! It also brought record low temps - 30 degrees below normal which was a welcome change. Here are a few pics of what happens here when it rains like that.

South Scottsdale got 1.5"


A neighborhood just north of downtown got 1.98"


Park about 2 blocks from my house after just over an inch


ASU exit off freeway. Tempe got about 1.75"

[Journey Mom]

Wow! That's just freaky. We had flooding like that here in Chicago last month, but that was after over 5 inches of rain.

[ebake02]

2 inches in 30 minutes is a normal thunderstorm in my neck of the woods.

[Liam]

2'' would be welcome right now. lol

[JRNYMAN]

2'' would be welcome right now. lol

That's what she sa....
Never mind... that doesn't even make sense.

[Liam]

What a desperate whore. LOL

[The Sushi Hunter]

Yesterday's storm brought almost 2" of rain to some parts of the valley in about 30 mins! It also brought record low temps - 30 degrees below normal which was a welcome change. Here are a few pics of what happens here when it rains like that.

That's about what it does in the Philippines nearly weekly during the rainy season. It was then when I had to look no further as to why everyone builds their homes on 3 & 1/2 to 4 foot bamboo stilts.