Tips can keep readers safe in monsoon season
In Arizona, period lasts until the end of September
It is officially monsoon season in Arizona, and this week is Monsoon Safety Awareness Week, which is designed to help Arizonans prepare for any scenario this summer.
According to a report from ArizonaExperience.com, monsoons occur when there’s a seasonal shift in wind patterns which bring a change in moisture conditions, reacting with the summer heat.
These storms can wreak havoc in Yuma, bringing high winds, sudden rains, flooding, high heat and rolling dust clouds.
It’s important to remember a few safety tips as we head into monsoon season, which officially ends on Sept. 30.
If you are out driving during a monsoon storm, don’t drive through flooded areas. If rainfall is hindering visibility, pull over for a few minutes and wait it out. And, should you see a downed power line, stay away from it, and call 911. If a downed line should happen to land on your vehicle, sit tight, call 911, and wait for the experts to arrive, the Arizona Department of Transportation says.
On the home front, if the power goes out, keep the refrigerator closed. Food will stay fresh longer without repeatedly opening the doors.
One of the biggest concerns in Yuma are the dust storms, which can reduce visibility to zero in just a matter of seconds.
Should a dust storm strike while you are in a vehicle, pull over, turn off the taillights and headlines, put the vehicle in park, and wait it out, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
In case of monsoon storms, it’s recommended that families keep a disaster supply kit on hand, just in case of emergency. The kit should be able to keep a family sustained for at least three days, with food, water, clothing, first aid supplies, medications and battery-operated radio and flashlights.
We don’t always know when a monsoon storm will strike here. Sometimes, we see the clouds on the horizon, and nothing materializes. But every so often, Yuma gets hit with a wallop. Following these suggestions will go a long way toward keeping your family safe this monsoon season.