Five things to know about Mexican hurricanes in Arizona
Sep 17, 2014, 6:06 AM | Updated: 6:06 am
PHOENIX — Unless you haven’t been outside the past month or are really good at ignoring the weather, you’ve noticed it’s been a little wetter than normal in Arizona.
The entire state has seen a jump in precipitation in the last month, especially the Valley. It all began Aug. 12, when south Phoenix was pounded by storms. At one point, a three-foot wall of water came rushing off South Mountain, flooding homes and turning Dobbins Road into a river.
About a week later, the north Valley was hit. In New River, cars and mobile houses were carried away by rushing water while Interstate 17 was closed after a nearby wash was overcome by flood waters.
On Sept. 8, the Valley shattered the record for rainfall in a single day. About 3.3 inches fell at Phoenix Sky Harbor with outlying suburbs receiving far more.
While the first two storms were the result of the monsoon, the latter and larger was caused by a hurricane that has passed through Mexico and become a tropical storm. Another tropical storm, Odile, was forecast to hit the Valley sometime on Wednesday or Thursday and again bring widespread flooding.
After you finish sandbagging and prepping for the storm, check out five questions and answers you need to know about the effect of Mexican hurricanes on Arizona weather.
