Three people have drowned, including one juvenile, as dangerous monsoonal moisture continues to inundate the Four Corners region on Wednesday. The North American Monsoon, which typically brings an influx of moisture across the U.S. Southwest, has been inundating New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, and Colorado with excessive rainfall this week, prompting numerous warnings and other alerts from local National Weather Service (NWS) offices because of a widespread flood threat associated with the storms.
On Wednesday, the threat turned deadly after the Navajo Police Department Shiprock District in New Mexico responded to a possible drowning in the early morning hours. Two adults and a juvenile were found dead at the scene, KOB 4 reported. The flood threat is expected to persist at least into Thursday, AccuWeather reported, warning that as much as a foot of rain could hit some areas.
The extensive threat comes only weeks after a flash flood in the Grand Canyon triggered by similar monsoonal conditions killed two people, underscoring the life-threatening impact that flash floods can have. Animated weather footage from windy.com shows where the severe alerts remain in place. NWS meteorologists warned of heavy rainfall rates and continuous thunderstorms through at least Wednesday night, although AccuWeather reported that heavy rain could persist through Thursday.
In some cases, rainfall rates could exceed 2 inches per hour, which could trigger life-threatening flash floods. ET Wednesday, flash flood warnings are in place in Utah and Arizona. The Windy.com weather radar shows storms continuing to move through the region.
As far as rain is concerned, the forecast shows as much as 3 additional inches of rainfall hitting some parts of the region over the next few days. Thunderstorms were also expected to continue. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) defines a monsoon as a shift in winds that can cause either a very rainy season or a very dry season.
Summer monsoons can bring rainy seasons because winds can bring in humid air, leading to heavy, relentless rain. "During typical conditions in the spring, the U.S. Southwest experiences strong, dry winds blowing from the west.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
