Heavy Rain Expected to Flood Two States After Wildfires
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Two states are at an increased risk of flash floods on Wednesday amid excessive rainfall, the National Weather Service (NWS) said in a Wednesday forecast.
Burn scars in Southeastern Arizona and Southwestern New Mexico will prove especially vulnerable to flash foods, NWS Weather Prediction Center Meteorologist Bryan Jackson told Newsweek.
Why It Matters
Early July is the beginning of the U.S. Southwest's monsoon season, when the area typically sees heavy rainfall. However, the current weather system is anomalous, Jackson said, caused by a low over Southern California that's bringing moisture from the tropical Pacific into the region.
"I don't think this is a classic monsoon, but it is that type of pattern and is the type of year for it to occur," Jackson said.
A stock photo shows a burn scar.
A stock photo shows a burn scar.
Eric Mischke/Getty
What to Know
On Wednesday morning, the NWS posted an excessive rainfall outlook through Thursday on Facebook. In the forecast, much of Arizona, southwestern New Mexico and western Texas were at a slight risk for rainfall to exceed flash flood guidelines.
"Heavy to excessive rainfall may bring flooding to parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia today," the NWS said in the forecast. "Recently burned areas will be particularly vulnerable to flash flooding."
Several recent wildfires, including the Greer Fire in Arizona, the Trout Fire in New Mexico, and the Buck Fire in New Mexico, have made the land vulnerable to flash flooding.
"When there's vegetation in place with all the root systems, it keeps the topsoil in place. When things are burned, you lose the vegetation that retains [the water]," Jackson told Newsweek. "If the fire burns hot enough, it can cause the soil characteristics to change, so water can be more repellent. It can run off more readily over fresh burned areas."
Through Thursday, Jackson said Southeastern Arizona and Southwestern New Mexico are expecting between 1 and 2 inches of rain. However, if thunderstorms develop, locally higher rainfall amounts could occur.
NWS offices across the region have issued flood watches, alerting residents of the flood risk in the area.
What People Are Saying
A flood watch issued by the NWS office in Tucson, Arizona: "The combination of deeper atmospheric moisture moving into Southeast Arizona from the south and an approaching weather system will result in widespread showers and thunderstorms. These storms will be capable of producing localized heavy rainfall in excess of an inch that can result in flash flooding of normally dry washes, roadway dips and other low-lying areas."
A flood watch issued by the NWS office in Santa Teresa, New Mexico: "Deep moisture is in place, and the atmosphere is forecast to turn unstable by the late morning and early afternoon, leading to the development of thunderstorms that will be capable of producing brief heavy rainfall. This will lead to excessive runoff, especially on recent wildfire burn scars in Lincoln County."
What Happens Next
Rain is expected to continue through Thursday, but the forecast for the region is clear for Friday and Saturday, Jackson said.
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