Lately, Arizona hasn’t had too much difficulty getting itself into the national spotlight; that much is certainly a given. But, while normally it’s some sort of scandal that has the hash tag wars rearing their ugly heads, this week’s “trending topic” for Arizonans happens to be the influx of heavy storms that have taken the entire state by…well…storm! Social networks everywhere can’t seem to stop talking about the crazy rain (over 3 inches in some places!) that everyone everywhere is experiencing, as the gigantic rain cloud that hangs over the state seemingly just won’t shift away.

Now, many might be looking at their twitter feeds/facebook walls and wondering why this is such a big deal. After all, has a little bit of rain ever hurt anyone? And don’t Arizonans want that rain anyway? Well, while rain is always welcomed in the desert, this season has been particularly rainy, resulting in flooding and thousands of dollars in property damage. Plus, not only is this state’s architecture not quite constructed to deal with any amount of weather, the people who live here don’t have the experience with rain that our wetter neighbors do. Combine that with some of the fastest winds we’ve had in years (outside of Haboobs) and you get a disaster that has spread from the streets to national news outlets everywhere. In other words, this is as close as Arizona has gotten to a “weather crisis” that hasn’t involved cranking the air conditioner down a few degrees.

Why Does this Matter?

Of course, knowing what is happening isn’t quite the same as learning how to deal with it. And, if you live in Arizona—or an equally dry state—as a board member, you may not know what you can do to protect your home, livelihood, and neighborhood from possible damage, or what you can do to fix it if you’ve already been hit pretty hard. With that in mind, here are just a few tips you should follow to ensure you and your home stay safe during Arizona’s latest weather apocalypse.

  1. Listen to Emergency Warnings: There are many areas of Arizona that have already had to evacuate their homes because of excess flooding in their neighborhoods. But, if you have noticed heavy rains in your region and you live next to a wash, river, or other body of water, keep an eye out for emergency warnings and leave your home immediately if told that you need to. Though Arizona doesn’t have to deal with it often, it is a common occurrence for lives to be lost simply because they ignore evacuation orders or because they don’t pay attention to/follow emergency procedures. No one wants to leave or lose their home to flooding; however, it’s more important to not lose your life. Keep that in mind if it comes down to it.
  1. Keep up with Repairs and Preparations: Though this is something you probably should have started before monsoon season in general, it’s important to have your house in as perfect condition as possible so you can be ready for the rains ahead. This means repairing your roof (if need be), fixing any and all weather stripping—which can easily dry out year to year in this summer heat—cutting down or trimming overhanging trees that could fall and cause property damage, and making sure your home is outfitted with surge protectors, so lightning does not destroy your expensive electronics.
  1. Never Drive in Inclement Conditions: Though everyone has to drive to work every day, and many times that will mean driving through the rain, it’s important to do your best to stay off the road—ESPECIALLY in flood or dust storm conditions. Driving rain, fast winds, blowing dust, and flash floods can all cause life threatening situations while behind the wheel, so watch the weather reports before going out on the road.
  1. Install Lightning Rods: Strangely enough, even with the lack of storms year by year, lightning strikes can still be a major issue within the state of Arizona, which can mean potential property damage if your home is hit. This is something you want to avoid for a multitude of reasons. Fortunately, lightning rods can deflect lightning away from your home itself, diverting damage and ensuring you don’t have to deal with possible house fires or fried electronics.
  1. Call Repair Services Immediately: If your neighborhood or community does have the misfortune of being ravaged by these storm fronts and you are on the board, it is your responsibility to make absolutely certain that repair services come as quickly as possible. Don’t let tree branches and trees stay on the ground for extended periods of time, and make certain that all community common areas are repaired as quickly as possible so they aren’t damaged again. Remember; don’t put it off, regardless of the expense; else, you could find yourself with a very angry bunch of homeowners on your hands, in addition to expenses that you never could have expected.

Be a Leader in your Neighborhood

Whether you are a board member or a homeowner, just know that it is in your best interest to stay safe and to help spread awareness of what you can do to make your neighborhood safe as well. In the event of a large storm that causes significant property damage, just a little bit of awareness, preparation, and fast acting can be the difference between a dip in home values and wondering where you’re going to stay while your homes are all fixed, and making it through this ordeal with everything intact. So share this article with your fellow board members, and do all you can to get your neighborhood prepared; you’ll certainly be happy you did!

Until next time, stay safe fellow Arizonans!