Southwest Floods Could Bring Some Relief to Lake Mead and Lake Powell
An early-season atmospheric river dumped a month's worth of rain across parts of the Desert Southwest in recent days. At least one death has been blamed for the deluge of moisture. Here is a recap of this deadly weather event.
Powerful Atmospheric River Ushers in Record Rainfall for the Southwest
A potent atmospheric river took aim at the southwestern U.S. beginning on Friday and persisting through the weekend, flooding roadways and homes and killing at least one person. The confirmed fatality happened in Henderson, Nevada, a suburb of Las Vegas. Firefighters pulled the individual from a flooded wash on Friday. According to FOX5, the victim went into cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Another individual was reported missing on Sunday near the mountain town of Flagstaff, Arizona. The City of Flagstaff detailed that "At approximately 5:57 p.m., emergency crews were dispatched to the area after a report that a man lost his footing near fast-moving water, fell in, and was not seen resurfacing."
Emergency crews were kept busy over the weekend as several major flooding incidents unfolded across Arizona, one of the hardest-hit states in the region. Many roads were deemed impassable as the water came down in sheets.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department in Arizona confirmed 16 water rescues by Sunday afternoon. Moving to the north in the Grand Canyon State, Coconino County activated its Emergency Operations Center as residents were evacuated from their flooded homes.
Central Arizona was ground zero for some of the worst of the flooding. The National Weather Service (NWS) said that about 150 to 200 homes were flooded on Sunday in the Rimrock and Lake Montezuma areas of the region.
Widespread rain totals of 2 to 4 inches were recorded in the areas north and east of Phoenix. The community of Crown King, located roughly 90 miles northwest of Phoenix, notched 6.21 inches of rain over the last few days.
Flagstaff recorded 3.37 inches of rain on Sunday alone, good enough to be the wettest November day ever confirmed in this city. The previous record was 1.53 inches of rain, dating back to 1987. For context, Flagstaff typically picks up about 1.55 inches of rain throughout all of November.
The normally dry city of Las Vegas measured 0.09 of an inch on Saturday. This marked the first time since 1987 that Sin City experienced rain on Halloween.
Rivers and Streams Swelling to Historic Levels
The surge of rainfall sent streams and rivers in the Southwest overflowing their banks. By Monday morning, there were 10 flood gauges in Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico boasting new height records. For example, the Gila River near Solomon, Arizona, shattered its 112-year record of 20.8 feet when it hit a level of 26.86 feet.
Oak Creek is another waterway that eclipsed its previous record stage dating back to 1993. Similarly, Salt River near Roosevelt hit a high of 30.6 feet early on Monday, breaking its record crest of 30.1 feet dating back to 1993.
Although the heavy rain created massive headaches for residents, the constant stream of moisture went a long way in chipping away at the ongoing drought. Lake Powell and Lake Mead have enjoyed rising water levels over the last few weeks due to the soggy weather pattern. The runoff from the streams and rivers feeding into these reservoirs will help to boost these levels further in the day and weeks ahead.
While any amount of additional water is good news for the drought-stricken region, there is still significantly more moisture needed to erase the deficits. For now, climatologists are pinning their hope on the expectation of a wet and snowy winter for the southwestern quadrant of the nation.
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