Re: Thoughts on Flood
Posted by David_Bricker on August 21, 2004 at 21:23:41:
In Reply to: Thoughts on Flood posted by The Kid on August 21, 2004 at 20:54:58:
I am not knowledgeable to speculate on the actions or inactions of the unfortunate folks who died, or of the authorities. I do believe, however, that it is likely general knowledge that desert driving, particularly in the summer, poses some unique risks, not the least of which is the potential for flash flooding. I also think that people who have not experienced firsthand (myself included) a flash flood have no real clue as to the intensity and power they contain.
An interesting example came to me today I'd thought I'd share. I now live in upstate New York, out in the middle of almost nowhere.
Last night, and this morning, in the course of 4 hours or so, we received 2 inches of rain. This is in addition to very heavy rain for the last couple of months, to the point the ground is saturated. There were flood warnings throughout the area. The bottom line - the creek on my property rose about 2 feet. But no damage occured.
This flood that came down FC Wash was from 1/3 of an inch of rain. This is substantially less rainfall than we got here in NY, yet it caused a lot of damage.
The difference, I think, is relatively obvious geologic factors. Plant matter (abundant in NY, very sparse in DV) promotes water absorbsion, desert varnish does not. The desesrt canyons are far steeper, so it is less likely to allow water to stand. Etc, etc.
I guess my point is that outside of the desert, 1/3 inch of rain does not give one the impression of creating havoc. Since few people actually live permanently in the desert, their point of reference is skewed with respect to the extent a little bit of rain can cause problems.
David Bricker