Monsoon brings safety risks Published June 18, 2009 By Deborah Silliman Wolfe Thunderbolt staff writer LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- Monday marked the beginning of the Arizona monsoon and Luke Air Force Base members need to be aware of what to expect. This annual phenomena brings weather that is rarely seen throughout the rest of the year. "Arizona monsoon is the summer period of thunderstorm development that has also been referred to as the summer thunderstorm season," said Master Sgt. James Dixon, 56th Operations Support Squadron Weather Flight NCO-in-charge. "Previously, it was agreed upon that the season officially started when Phoenix observed three consecutive days of 55 degree Fahrenheit dew point temperatures. But last year, the monsoon season start date officially changed to the set dates of June 15 through Sept. 30. This stopped endless debating on when the season started and allowed leaders to focus on monsoon safety concerns." According to Sergeant Dixon, the top safety concerns associated with the monsoon are flash flooding, lightning, high winds and sandstorms. "Under normal monsoon conditions, areas are clearly labeled that have a tendency to flash flood," he said. "When these areas have water running through them, avoid crossing. Occasionally, flash flooding could be so intense that areas not normally labeled with flash flooding signs could succumb to torrential rains. If there is any doubt, avoid crossing areas where water is rushing through the street." Sergeant Dixon also said that occurrences of lightning increase significantly during the monsoon season and the standard rules apply for staying safe. "In the last 34 years, 7,000 Americans have been killed by lightning," he said. "It increases your chances of being struck by lightning if you golf, swim, boat or are outside during a thunderstorm. Avoid the temptation to stand under a tree or cacti during a thunderstorm because although they may seem safe, single standing objects are trigger points for lightning." Another weather condition that causes a safety concern that many people have never experienced are sandstorms. Sergeant Dixon explained that with the development of monsoon thunderstorms, high winds lift dust and sandstorms can occur. These walls of sand, also known as haboobs, can be clearly seen and usually avoided. But high winds associated with thunderstorms can occur abruptly and sometimes without warning. "If thunderstorms are forecast across the valley, remove yard items that are light and may be easily lifted," Sergeant Dixon recommended. "These items can cause property damage and personal injury to unsuspecting victims." If someone is driving a vehicle, and happens to run into a haboob, Sergeant Dixon recommends that the driver pull off the road as far as possible, turn on emergency flashers and wait for the initial push of the storm to move through. "It is very difficult to navigate through a significant sandstorm and precautions should be taken," he said. "Vehicles can fail during sandstorms and you could end up stuck in the road. Anyone else driving might not be able to see your vehicle, creating a situation for disaster."