A monsoon can prove to be a highly dangerous and damaging weather event. With the monsoon season already in place in Arizona, New Mexico, western portions of Texas, Utah, Nevada, and Colorado, it’s critical for property owners to take steps to protect their homes. Though this weather event is less talked about than hurricanes or tornadoes, monsoons are still highly dangerous, and precautions are necessary to minimize risks to property owners.
“Monsoons are volatile events that bring significant rain in a short amount of time,” says a representative from BluSky Restoration Contractors. “They are considered some of the most dangerous types of weather due to the fast-acting rainfall.”
They often have strong wind events that can cause even more damage. Some of the risks these events bring include the following:
Flash Floods
Flash floods are quickly developing, fast-moving rivers of water that can occur anywhere, including outside of creeks and riverbeds. While the rain from a sudden thunderstorm could feel refreshing during the hot months, the onset of heavy rain on very dry land can easily create a flash flood event that leads to significant risks, including damage to property.
Flash floods can quickly change the ground pattern surrounding a structure. This may cause flooding within a building. These floods can also cause a significant amount of structural damage just from their sheer force.
Downburst Winds
Property owners might also experience a downburst wind. These storms can create an incredible amount of wind power which descends from a thunderstorm. It spreads quickly outward from that point. When the downburst winds hit the ground, they could be traveling at rates of up to 85 miles per hour—the wind speed of an EF1 tornado.
For property owners, these winds can result in damage from falling trees and power lines. It may take out electrical systems to property and whole cities. In other instances, these winds can cause less-than-stable buildings to topple over. Because of these risks, property owners should prepare by removing anything from the area that could be picked up and tossed about.
Lightning
Lightning is very common during one of these intense thunderstorm events. Lightning can strike anything, but it tends to choose the highest structure in a given area. The biggest risk here is fire. There is little that a property owner can do to prevent the damage brought about by lightning because there is no way to predict where it could occur. Remaining indoors and out of the way of others is one of the most important steps people can take.
Monitor for falling trees from lightning strikes. If one falls on your home, do not try to remove it yourself. Instead, call your insurer to discuss the options for getting a professional tree service to handle the work. Doing this quickly could help to reduce the amount of water damage to the home resulting from the exposure.
Thunderstorms and Dust Storms
Thunderstorms and dust storms created by this weather event can be just as intense and cause damage to structures. Sometimes the dust storms are so significant that they can diminish visibility and could put people at risk. Thunderstorms bring the rain and lightning already mentioned and can also create flash flooding.
Wildfires
Another high risk for those that live in areas susceptible to monsoons is wildfires. These can break out anywhere, especially when lightning strikes. The winds from monsoons then carry that fire from one area to the next, often leaving a path of destruction along the way. Wildfires are highly dangerous and can cause significant damage to property owners.
The only way to minimize the risk associated with wildfires is to create a barrier around property in which there is very little flammable material. That often means clearing away brush and any other material that could allow the fire to spread close to buildings. The larger the distance from those flammable materials to your property, the better.
How Property Owners Can Act Now to Protect Their Assets
The monsoon season is highly unpredictable, and a single weather event like this could create significant damage to your property. What can you do right now to protect yourself?
- Pay attention to warnings and alerts. There is often time to prepare for the onset of thunderstorms and other intense weather events. These warnings shouldn’t be ignored.
- Avoid going outside or spending time traveling when monsoons occur. If you are outside and spot a tornado or other type of intense weather event, get to shelter at the lowest level of your property as quickly as possible.
- Maintain proper elevation and grading of your property. This helps to ensure that rain from these intense rainstorms flows away from your structure instead of towards it.
- Keep things that could blow away out of the way. In preparation for violent storms, work to protect glass and areas of the home that are vulnerable.
- Make sure your property is consistently fireproof. Work with your neighbors to do the same thing.
Taking these steps could help you to protect your property from the wind and water damage that often occurs during monsoon season.
