As Monsoon Awareness Week rolls through, running from Sunday to Saturday, local officials and safety agencies are doubling down on their efforts to ensure that residents are fully prepped for the assortment of meteorological tumults that monsoons typically entail. Recent announcements and published guidelines highlight the swift and powerful nature of monsoon storms, pointing to the potential for thunderstorms, dust storms, flash floods, and the hazards that come bundled with them, Queen Creek reports.
When it comes to dust storms, these windy behemoths can kick up gusts over 40 mph and slash visibility, warning residents to move indoors, stay away from windows, and if driving, to pull off the road and wait it out without the car or headlights on, setting the parking brake, and avoiding the brake pedal, warns QueenCreekAZ.gov. The dangers of flash floods are also magnified, with most deaths occurring in vehicles as it takes only one to two feet of moving water to carry most vehicles away travel should be avoided during flash floods; and if unavoidable, never drive into flooded roadways or bypass barricades, while also keeping a safe distance from flood waters, as little as six inches can unsettle an adult, the website emphasizes.
Further safety measures address the perils of lightning, advising residents that if thunder is audible, seeking shelter indoors or in a metal-topped vehicle is prudent, avoiding water and metal outdoors, in addition to steering clear of trees, power lines, and poles. The town of Queen Creek has bolstered protection with lightning detection systems installed in town parks and at the Aquatic Center, sounding sirens and activating strobe lights when danger is imminent, advising individuals to find shelter immediately.
Essential guidelines for encountering downed power lines include staying at least 100 feet away and, if a power line falls on a car, espousing that occupants should not touch any metal surfaces and wait for professional assistance—SRPnet.com/outagemap offers information on power outages. Moreover, pollution prevention is part of the preparedness dialogue with stormwater runoff being a major contributor to water contamination; residents are urged to sweep up yard debris, dispose of pet waste properly, and judiciously use pesticides following instructions given before a storm, states the Queen Creek website.
For residents in need of sandbags ahead of the storms, they can head to Fire Station 2 at 24787 S. Sossaman Road, with the reminder to bring your own shovel and fill bags only halfway. Should emergency assistance or further information be necessary, QueenCreekAZ.gov provides a list of essential resources, including numbers for roadway concerns, non-emergency services, power outage maps, and the Red Cross, along with a firm encouragement to stay informed of severe weather watches and warnings.
