BBurns Loc: South Bay, California

You can check all the weather reports. They can say that there was no chance of rain. But the desert has it’s own rules.
When you are out of cell phone/GPS or internet range, these videos show how fast things can get ugly!

For those of you who don't understand the BIG, DRY "rivers" in the Southwest and West and the cautions associated with them, watch this!

http://www.youtube.com/embed/_yCnQuILmsM

Little Wild Horse Slot Canyon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wj7WnkgjhM0

EdM Loc: FN30JS

have seen it, a drop of rain hits the desert sand, and becomes a round ball, you can blow it around like a drop of mercury on a tabletop...

joehel2 Loc: Cherry Hill, NJ

The Slot Canyon video was a potential nightmare for those hikers, very scary scenario.

ScottB Loc: Westlake, OH

In the late 1980s a flash flood on Lake Powell moved our houseboat from being 100' offshore to being 150' onshore in less than ten minutes. This was because the lake level was down over 25' and the canyon bed was now 1800' of exposed sediment. Twelve hours after the rain that sediment was now supersaturated and broke free. We managed to get our two speedboats to open water but by the time we understood the problem the houseboat was already mired in sand. The salvage operation cost over $70,000 and took a week.

Picdude Loc: Ohio

Old rule-of-thumb for travel when the country was being settled (and probably still holds true in areas today) - Always cross a river or dry bed before camping. You never know what might wash down over night. Just because it's not raining where your at doesn't mean it hasn't rained up-hill from you.

mwoods222 Loc: Newburg N.Y,

Think about the Johnstown flood 31 May 1889 google it 2209 killed and a will of debris gives one some prospective

EdM Loc: FN30JS

yeh, there are multiple RR sidings in the now dry lake bed. No one was ever held accountable, seems the very wealthy owned the lake/dam etcc. it was a wealthy sportsmans club...

mwoods222 Loc: Newburg N.Y,

Been there followed the flood who took out the spill way ?

EdM Loc: FN30JS

the lake/dam was poorly managed..there were overflow pipes which had been removed, and the spillway was clogged with branches...

Kuzano

That's in the same book with:

Always follow a river or creek downstream to find civilization.

Never cross a forest service road if you are already lost. Panic makes lost people do stupid things. Stay on the road, but never cross into another patch of forest.

paulrph1 Loc: Washington, Utah

This is timely because we just had 12 people killed by washes just this past week. 7 in Hildale, Utah and 5 in Keyhole canyon in Zion NP. It is important that ONE keep an eye on skies and also keep their ears open. Every year there are people that get caught unaware. It may not be raining where you are but 20 miles away it might be raining gangbusters. Checking the weather might help, if one suspects anything head for higher ground. In fact is should be policy to stay on higher ground but that is not always possible.
The people killed were from the aftermath of hurricane Linda. Watch the storms in the Pacific and it take about 1 to 2 days for them to reach us. So if there is a big storm in the Pacific plan accordingly.
Where we live the Virgin River drains our valley. Most always it is barely running but every once in a while it is a torrent. Quicksand and raging waters. They built the dam 25 times in one area but it kept getting washed out until they decided to move it upriver 1 mile.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

This is how it is.
Rain 50 miles away and your dry wash floods a short time later with no warning.
The Salt River in the Valley of the Sun wipes out homes, bridges etc. every time it floods. There are places it is over a mile wide when flooding but the rest of the time it is dry.
BTW before the dams were put in Salmon went up and down it annually,