WeatherFanatics: Odile Causes Tremendous Flooding in Southwest US

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Odile Causes Tremendous Flooding in Southwest US

By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist

September 18,2014; 9:10PM,EDT

Tropical Rainstorm Odile will continue to unload tremendous rainfall over a large part of the Southwest United States that will run off the mountains and into the desert valleys and plains through the end of the week and into the weekend.
While the rain will continue to ease the long-term drought in the region from parts of Arizona to the southern High Plains, too much rain will fall too quickly for the landscape to absorb.
Several water rescues have already taken place due to flash flooding.
Heavy rainfall will hit southeastern Arizona and much of New Mexico, where a general storm total of 3 to 6 inches is forecast. However, local storm total amounts of 10 inches or more are possible on the slopes of the mountains from southeast of Tucson, Arizona, to northwest Texas. Rainfall of 1 to 2 inches per hour can occur.
There is a significant risk to lives and property in the region.

According to Clark, "Not only will flash and urban flooding occur in this case, but there is the potential for major river flooding."
Flooding rainfall targeted El Paso, Texas, Wednesday night, bringing 1.81 inches of rain in an hour. Flooded streets and roadways were a common sight across the city. Based on radar, 6 inches of rain has fallen on the mountains surrounding El Paso and to the southeast of Tucson, Arizona, as of early Thursday morning.
From early Tuesday to Thursday morning, 2.34 inches of rain fell on Deming, New Mexico, with 1.52 inches at Las Cruces, New Mexico. Near Stafford, Arizona, 2.6 inches of rain fell in six hours early Wednesday morning.

The amount of rain and rainfall rates will continue to ramp up in parts of the Southwest through Thursday night. Additional spotty, heavy rainfall can occur in the mountains into the weekend.
This is the type of threat that can cause water to flow rapidly through normally dry stream beds, called arroyos, and into villages, towns and major cities. Major roads can be damaged and some bridges along secondary roads could be swept away. Mudslides can block roads in a few locations.
"Travel on Interstate-10 between El Paso, Texas, and Phoenix will be dangerous," Clark said.
A safer route from the Plains to California will be I-40, but delays and poor visibility are possible due to heavy rain.
The rain from Odile is coming just one week after moisture from Norbert and Dolly drenched the region, creating major flooding.
Some areas around Phoenix and Las Vegas are still cleaning up. Norbert caused a daily record rainfall of 3.29 inches at Phoenix earlier in September. The majority of the rain from Odile will fall well south and east of Las Vegas and east of Phoenix.
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The combined rainfall from Norbert and Odile has the potential to cause this September to be the wettest ever in parts of New Mexico and Arizona. The National Weather Service maintains statistics on record September rainfall.
The area from just east of Tucson, Arizona, to Las Cruces, New Mexico, and Lubbock, Texas, will be particularly vulnerable through Thursday night.
Spotty, heavy thunderstorms can reach as far to the north and west as Las Vegas, Palm Springs, California, and Salt Lake City.
"The greatest risk of widespread flooding in the Southwest [will continue] into Thursday night," Clark said.
"However, spotty heavy showers and thunderstorms will continue, especially over the higher terrain, into the weekend and can lead to additional flooding in isolated areas."
Heavy rain that leads to both flooding and drought relief will expand to Texas and the Southern Plains into the weekend.
AccuWeather Meteorologist Brian Lada contributed content to this story.

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