Starting on September 26th, strong thunderstorms with unusually heavy downpours hit Arizona. In most areas of the Phoenix metropolitan county, more than a month’s worth of rain fell.
At Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, 1.6 inches of precipitation were recorded — the highest daily total in the last seven years.
The storm struck especially hard in the small mining town of Globe, where intense rains caused a sudden flash flood. Torrents of water rapidly inundated streets, sweeping away cars and breaking trees. Some residents were forced to seek refuge on rooftops while waiting for rescue.
Members of the city council declared an emergency, saying they had never seen anything like it.
The flood swept away around one thousand propane cylinders from a distribution site. They were scattered throughout the historic downtown area, creating a risk of explosions. Emergency services declared a heightened danger level and sent in hazardous materials specialists. Fortunately, none of the cylinders ignited or exploded.
However, tragedy could not be avoided. In Globe, three people died after being carried away by the rushing water. Another man drowned in the suburbs of Phoenix.
The town of Miami was also flooded. According to one local resident, the disaster resembled a sudden hurricane strike, as it seemed to come out of nowhere and felt like a hurricane had hit the town, with a solid wall of water and zero visibility.
Tourist areas were also affected. Water quickly flooded the famous Havasupai Canyon, home to popular waterfalls and trails, making routes impassable. Visitors had to be urgently evacuated.
The disaster damaged roads and forced closures of sections of the major Highway Sixty.
Such heavy rainfall is highly unusual for late September in Arizona. Meteorologists explained it as a rare combination of factors: an upper-level low-pressure system, usually typical of winter storms, collided with heat and a surge of tropical moisture, creating unstable air and strong thunderstorms.
But why are atypical weather events that trigger sudden, extreme natural disasters happening more and more often?
Scientists of Allatra provide a comprehensive answer to this question, based on twenty years of research. They not only identified the underlying causes of what is happening, but also proposed a scientifically grounded way out of the climate crisis. More detailed information can be found in the video report by Dr. Egon Cholakian “Why Turbulence Is on the Rise? Egon Cholakian on Atmospheric Anomalies and Nanoplastic Pollution”
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