Preparing for a Monsoon

If you’ve lived in Arizona for at least a year, you may have experienced the monsoon season. It runs June-September each year. Monsoons can include:

• Thunderstorms
• Heavy Rain
• Lightning
• Hail
• High Winds
• Flash Flooding
• Dust Storms
• Excessive Heat

If you are experiencing any of these conditions, there’s really nothing you can do about it except wait it out. (Sorry!) If you are from the Midwest, you already know how to drive in these conditions and how to prepare in other ways. If this is new to you, here’s what you need to know:

• Keep a fully charged cell phone (and a charger, just in case) as well as drinking water and an emergency kit.
• Don’t try to drive in it if you aren’t used to driving in the rain.
• Don't risk driving through standing water in the road—it might be deeper than it looks, which can be dangerous or damage your car. Flash flooding can occur less than two hours after a heavy rain. All it takes is six inches of fast-moving water to knock a person over, and 12 inches to sweep a car away. If you encounter a flooded road, turn around and choose a different route.
• Storm runoff and erosion can cause rocks on slopes above highways to shift and fall onto the road—or your car. Watch out for falling rocks.  
• Check your windshield wipers before the season starts and replace them if you need to.
• Don’t brake suddenly (unless you have to)! Sudden braking can cause your car to slide on wet pavement, so maintain a safe distance between your car and the car in front of you to avoid it.
• Turn on your headlights when driving in the rain. Make sure your taillights work too so others can see you during the reduced visibility that comes with rain.
• Driving too fast on wet roads can cause your car to hydroplane, so slow down—and if you find yourself hydroplaning, take your foot off the gas (but don’t hit the brake) and turn your steering wheel into the direction you're sliding. 

Get Your House Ready
During monsoon season, thunderstorms can form quickly and unexpectedly. Heavy rain, lightning and high winds can wreak havoc on your home if you aren’t ready.

Since monsoons can come on suddenly, you may not have time to do some things, like put away anything outdoors that could become flying debris in high winds. What you can do, long before monsoon season starts, is clean your gutters and downspouts to remove any debris that will block the rain from going down and out. Also, if you notice your gutters and downspouts need to be repaired, do it prior to monsoon season. The same goes for your roof. Having it inspected each year prior to monsoon season can prevent leaks and extend the life of your roof.

Since lightning is a common occurrence during storms, install a lightning protection system that directs the surge to the ground before monsoon season starts. During storms, take these precautions:

• Unplug sensitive electronic equipment or use a surge protector.
• If you’re indoors, avoid contact with water (so no bathing/showering, doing the dishes or swimming).
• Don’t use landline phones.
• Stay away from windows, doors and electronic equipment.
• Stay away from open spaces.

Rain isn’t common in Arizona, so these things might not be second nature to you, but staying informed and ready will help you through each monsoon season.