After the heavy rains and flooding in Death Valley National Park in the US state of California, the police evacuated hundreds of stranded people from “Death Valley”. “Thanks to the hard work of the road workers, visitors who were previously unable to leave the hotels in the area have now been able to exit carefully with police escort,” the national park said. Helicopters would be used to patrol the park’s remote areas to ensure there were no stranded vehicles. There are currently no reports of injuries.
Unusually large amounts of rain fell on Death Valley National Park on Friday. The place is considered the driest and hottest in the United States. About 3.7 inches of rain fell in the Furnace Creek area. According to media reports, this made the day the second wettest since records began in 1911. The average is 0.3 centimeters of precipitation throughout the month of August, as the Washington Post reported. As a rule, a total of just under five centimeters was registered as an annual average.
Hotel rooms and offices flooded, roads blocked
About 500 visitors and 500 park employees were in Death Valley on Friday. About 60 cars belonging to visitors and employees were buried under rubble next to a hotel, according to CNN. The flash flooding and storm pushed dumpsters into parked cars, according to the park. In addition, many hotel rooms and business offices were flooded. Roads are blocked by fallen boulders and palm trees.
The national park said the water has receded in most areas, leaving extensive mud and gravel deposits. Roads in the park would remain closed until staff had an overview of the situation.
According to scientists, human-caused global warming also contributes to extreme precipitation events.