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August 19, 2004

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With the monsoons comes random flash floods. The rain can actually be quite some distance, but can still cause flash floods for many miles away. These flash floods can be quite dangerous at times as they can seem to come up out of nowhere and wash a car off of the road.

On this day I had gone with my family for the afternoon and, upon returning, noticed that the whole area had gotten a considerable amount of rain and many roads were closed due to the high water. It wasn't all that bad except for the fact that I had forgotten to roll the windows up on my car and it got quite wet inside. But, being here in the desert, it didn't take too long to dry out and nothing got damaged.

I recall driving through the desert in New Mexico many years ago. The sun was shining bright, not a cloud in the sky, but as I crossed a small dried up river bed, I saw a wall of water rushing towards me. As I drove over I stopped and looked back as the water came rushing over the highway. As I stood there I noticed how the water rose so fast it certainly could have taken my car away.

As we think we can handle just about any situation that nature throws at us, we must be very careful and also consider how vulnerable we actually are. Take into consideration that, even if your vehicle can handle a small rush of water, and have enough clearance, keep in mind what may be lurking just below the surface. I recall a friend in Dallas running over a pipe that speared through his tires. It left him stranded in the high water as it rose and took his car away. He was able to get to safety before his car drifted off of the road and turned over.