Monsoon by Jane St. Clair

Tucson summer is the season of violent monsoon storms. The language of the sky is not the same as the language people use when a monsoon strikes.

It’s 9 A.M. The sky has no look of danger. If you look closely, though, you can see a storm is literally brewing in the great cauldrons of the Catalina Mountains over Tucson. The storm gods are cooking up something for us today. 

ALERT 9 AM … ALERT …ON YOUR CELL PHONE ….ALERT … ALERT ON YOUR TV ….9 AM… Mountain Standard Time… The National Weather Service has issued a storm alert for the city of Tucson and the county of Pima, Arizona …. Expect heavy winds and flooding in some areas… Rivers and washes will be running…
ALERT …. ALERT …. ALERT …. ALERT … ALERT …. ALERT …

It’s 10 AM. The sky is no longer quiet.  The place where the sky meets the hot desert earth of summer is now an ominous zone.  Something’s got to give. Something will crashing down.

10 AM… MST….ALERT … ALERT … ALERT …FLASH FLOOD WATCH NOW IN EFFECT THROUGH 5 PM MST FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST ARIZONA …Flash Flooding may occur at times from numerous showers and monsoon storms. Areas along washes…small streams and drainages will be susceptible to flooding. Low water crossings and poorly drained roads may become impassable. Rural and dirt roads will likely become washed out at times.

By noon the sky is now scary dark. The storm gods have woken up and ready to throw out their lightning .. and to shake down the thunder from the sky …

ALERT… NOON MST …FLASH FLOOD WARNING NOW IN EFFECT…
If Flash Flooding is observed…
act quickly.

• Move immediately to higher ground. Do not wait for instructions to move.
• If you must evacuate, turn off utilities at the main switches. Do not touch electrical equipment if you are wet.
• Secure your home. Move essential items to an upper floor.
• If you have to leave your home, do not walk through moving water. Six inches of moving water can make you fall.
• Do not drive into flooded areas. If floodwaters rise around your car, abandon your car.

It is 3 PM and dark as pitch. All the animals have gone into hiding. Lightning bolts –zig zag shapes and round shapes– make quick light, then go dark in thundering silence.ALERT ….  3 PM ….ALERT …. FLASH FLOODING AND HEAVY RAINS ARE OCCURRING … Fifty roads are closed.  If you take a chance and try to drive through a flooded street, your car will stop. If the police come and rescue you, you are subject to Arizona’s Stupid Motorist Law, which requires you to pay for both your rescue and a fine of up to $2,000.

By 5 PM a great double rainbow arches over the sky and reaches across the mountains. The monsoon is over. The rainbows promise peace.

By 8 PM you’re watching the sunset. Your phone buzzes. You have a text.

ALERT …. ALERT …. ALERT …. 8 PM MST …..ALERT… FLASH FLOOD WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM TOMORROW …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Barbara Kingsolver once wrote that when it comes to thunderstorms and sunsets, Tucson never does anything halfway. To keep track of monsoon storms in Tucson and to get alerts like the ones here, go to the National Weather Bureau website.