Environment & Energy

This year's Southwest monsoon so far has been a disappointment. But the temperament of the monsoon has changed since I moved here (central Arizona) many years ago. We used to get steady rain mixed in with thunderstorms; now the monsoon either fizzles out completely with very little rain (or worst of all, what they call dry thunderstorms, which is nothing but lightning), or it is a scary and unrelenting series of massive and extreme thunderstorms resulting in sporadic flash flooding, hail, rockslides, microbursts, damage to the animal and plant life (not to mention roofs and vehicles). 2022 and 2023 were like that. Most of the homes in my neighborhood have new roofs because of a severe thunderstorm/flash flood with hail that occurred in August 2022.

I never, ever used to "worry" about the monsoon. Now I start perspiring about it in May, pulling together weather radios, supplies in case I need to evacuate the house due to a lightning strike, flooding or just plain wildfire (which is the most likely scenario for our town being wiped off the map). Heaven is turning into hell.