Page 1 - Davis-Monthan AFB Desert Lightning News 7-10-15

$1$(527(&+1(:6$1'5(9,(:38%/,&$7,21‡:::$(527(&+1(:6&20

Two sides to one coin; the heat and the storm

Airman 1st Class Ashley N. Steffen

355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

The sky starts to darken as clouds roll in off of a road.” (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. C.J. Hatch)
overhead. Sweltering heat drops to a seemingly If a driver enters an area that is flooded and
bearable temperature. The smell of rain drifts rain, and debris from high winds, are all hazards
on the desert wind. Finally a blinding flash and needs rescuing they can be punished under Ari- that can come with monsoons.
sonic boom is released to signal the beginning zona’s Stupid Motorist Law, which states they
of a desert storm. will have to pay for their own rescue. “The wind can blow around debris and
cause damage to homes, vehicles and people,”
Like two sides of a coin, Arizona offers over The water is not the only thing to look out for. Lucas said. “The wind can cause power lines
100 degree weather, as well as, hurricane like Inexperienced drivers, slick oils newly wet from to break; these lines can still be charged and
storms called monsoons. highly dangerous.”

These wonderfully, beautiful storms cre-
ate a show of lightning across the sky and
unleash winds powerful enough to rip off
rooftops and flip over F-16s. The storms are
gorgeously dangerous.

One of the biggest dangers that come with
monsoon season is flash flooding. These
spontaneous floods can carry away heavy ve-
hicles and submerge most average sized cars,
trapping passengers.

“The soil here is so hard that when it rains, the
ground can’t soak in the extra water, so it builds
up and can cause flooding,” said Staff Sgt. Ant-
woine L. Giles, 355th Fighter Wing occupational
and health safety inspector.

These floods can hit anywhere: old washes,
road ways and parking lots.

“It is vital that you don’t try to cross an area
that is flooded, either via vehicle or walking,” said
Airman 1st Class Lucas S. Stone, 355th Civil En-
gineering Squadron fire protection apprentice.
“A few inches of moving water can push a vehicle

In this edition:

Keys to surviving the Arizona heat Pg. 2
Changes to decorations processing Pg. 3
Protecting man’s best friend Pg. 4
National military strategy Pg. 5
NCO re-enlists underwater Pg. 7
New Horizons personnel plant trees Pg. 8
Pilot makes history at Weapons School Pg. 11