Avoiding Summer Weather Travel Dangers

Arizona’s Antelope Canyon is a desert destination of rare beauty, boasting sinuous rock walls, glowing sandstone hues and a narrow, winding path. Brady Radmall, President, Paul Davis Restoration of Phoenix, Arizona, knows this seductive spot can masquerade as a death trap. “Tourists forget how slot canyons form: sudden, raging torrents of water carve the rock and violently push everything ahead – rocks, trees, hikers,” he describes. “The only warning may be a deafening roar a few seconds before a 15-foot wall of water arrives.”

Traveling is popular during the summer months but arriving home safely after a glorious trip is the best outcome. If you plan to hit the road, or just stay around home, be alert to four weather dangers and keep these tips in mind:

Flash flooding: 

• Remember that flash flooding can occur in blue sky conditions: a distant cloudburst sends deadly floodwaters miles away, where the weather is calm. Slot canyons in the Southwest are famous examples of how deadly this phenomenon can be.
• Never drive around a barricade in flooding conditions or wade in floodwaters. Six inches of moving water can knock a person down and two feet of water is enough to move a vehicle. Remember: Turn around, don’t drown.

Hurricanes: 

• Time travel strategically: hurricane season on the Eastern seaboard starts June 1 and ends November 30, but activity peaks in late August and extends through September.
• Understand that wind garners excessive publicity from forecasters but storm surge can be more deadly.
• If instructed to evacuate, do so on the schedule officials dictate. Choose to safely retreat before you are forced to exercise a more dangerous option: sheltering in place.

Tornadoes:

• Tornado threats shift from the country’s southeastern region in cooler months toward the southern and central plains in May and June, and into the northern plains and the Midwest as summer begins.
• Identify areas of shelter before skies darken. 
• If a tornado warning occurs, seek shelter right away. Choose community shelters, basements, storm cellars or interior rooms on lower levels. Stay away from windows, doors and outside walls. Don’t open windows: this will not prevent structural damage and it poses personal safety risks.

Wildfires:

• People accidentally ignite many wildfires. Take precautions to avoid ignition: use approved areas and materials for cooking and campfires. Be extremely careful using and disposing of smoking materials. Do not light fireworks. Do not park your car in dry grass.
• Many local authorities in fire-prone areas update the public frequently about risks, conditions, precautions and threat levels. Access this information often for instructions and news because conditions may change suddenly.
• Be aware that smoke from existing wildfires can pose health risks as well as obscuring sightlines while driving. Proceed carefully.

“Whether at home or away traveling, manage your risks for any disaster by setting alerts on your phone, perusing weather sites online, registering for local emergency announcements and accessing local media,” Radmall says. “Then heed instructions. One of our deadliest Antelope Canyon disasters occurred when hikers disregarded a public warning to stay out due to flood threats.”