Chicken Little is from Arizona

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Because the sky has in fact fallen. 5" of rain where I live in the Phx area, we are just not prepared for that sort of rain here.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2014/09/08/phoenix-arizona-rainfall-flooding/15284743/

 

[Wheels]

Phil,

Hope you had your ark built!

That sounds like a lot of rain for you guys.

All the best with coping with it.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Your storm drains were not built for that for sure.
People do not respect water. Blasting through that water in their trucks.
Wonder how everyone got stranded.

Stay safe.

 

[bluey]

3 inches of rain can do that , there ?
what is phoenix in a bowl ,or something ?
hope you are ok, phil

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Phoenix is one of the lowest lying spots in the state bluey. Our soil is basically clay. When it's hot and dry, the clay bakes hard and will not absorb water very easily. So sudden rain just washes quickly to the lowest areas. In time the clay will absorb water, but it saturates quickly and takes quite awhile to percolate through.

Most places in Phoenix did not look like that spot on the intersate. But I did drive through 6 inches or so in places this morning before calling it and going back home.

 

[bluey]

so the water in the photo will take how long to be absorbed into the clay?
or it will be pumped away?
id hate imagine 200 mm of rain would do there , hope you don't any more for awhile, cobber.......
is it the same most dessert areas, where to whole place blooms after some rain ?

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Honestly I don't know what they'll do on the highways. This was the most rain Phoenix has experienced in 75 years. Phoenix was just a bump in the road at that time.

The clay will take a few days to absorb the water. As the humidity moves out, much of it will evaporate too.

If it were spring time, yes this would result in amazing desert blosssom. The saguaro cactus that Arizona is famous far actually flowers, but only in spring. We're just a couple weeks or so from cooler weather.

 

[Bobpuckett]

Hey Phil send some my way my yard is starting to look like a dessert with all the cracks in the dirt it looks like a dry lake bed.

 

[CAustin]

Phil, I gave until last month done business in Phoenix fir the last ten years. I turned that part of my old region or to a newly promoted VP and he was asking if thus was normal. I said heck no man this is record rainfall but I had no idea it was a 75 year high. Amazing. Hope you and yours are all ok.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Hey Phil send some my way my yard is starting to look like a dessert with all the cracks in the dirt it looks like a dry lake bed.

Wish I could, but that rain will hopefully do a lot to fill our reservoirs and help raise the water table up in the high country. The pines up there are susceptible to bark beetle infestation when things are dry. Raising the water table sets them up for a better spring next year during the snow melt.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Phil, I gave until last month done business in Phoenix fir the last ten years. I turned that part of my old region or to a newly promoted VP and he was asking if thus was normal. I said heck no man this is record rainfall but I had no idea it was a 75 year high. Amazing. Hope you and yours are all ok.

We came out of it with no issue. I just moved to our house a month ago. I was pretty nervous not knowing what hidden problems may exist. But no water marks on the ceilings and the yard drained just like it's supposed to.

Most newer neighborhoods are built with water retention basins around the community, and the one right beside us is huge. It's now a fine bass pond at least for the next few days.

Others in the area with older homes didn't fare so well. The east valley area of Phx was all ranch and farmland not all that long ago. Many of the ranchers/farmers sold their land to developers but kept a small piece to keep their homes. Many of those homes were more/less at ground level with nowhere for the water to go but into their homes. With the humidity holding they'll be fighting mold for sure.

 

[Wheels]

Phil,

I see you are getting slammed again. Hope this round of rain treats you well.

All the best.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Here in Phx, we really didn't get hit, at least not yet. Some rain today but nothing like last week.

 

[Mr. 16 gauge]

Love the female reporter standing in the water.....with the electrical cord from her microphone dangling in the water near her feet! Must be a blonde.