"Once-in-a-millennium event"... Water deluge in US Death Valley, the 'driest land'

Heavy Rainfall in Death Valley, Known as the Hottest and Driest Place
371mm of Rain in One Day... 75% of Annual Rainfall

Sudden flash flooding occurred at Death Valley National Park in the United States due to heavy rain. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jung-wan] In Death Valley National Park, California, USA, heavy rain amounting to 75% of the annual rainfall poured down, isolating hundreds of people and causing widespread damage.

On the 10th (local time), according to the British daily The Guardian, Daniel Burke, a meteorologist at the US National Weather Service in Las Vegas, said, "The recent heavy rain that hit Death Valley is a historic event that occurs once every 1,000 years," adding, "The probability of such heavy rain occurring in this area within a year is less than 0.1%."

According to the US National Park Service (NPS), on the 6th, a record-breaking heavy rain of 371mm fell in the Furnace Creek area within Death Valley National Park in California. This amount corresponds to 75% of the annual rainfall.

The 371mm downpour in one day is the second highest since weather observations began in 1911. The daily maximum precipitation record is 377mm, recorded on April 15, 1988. Considering that this time the rain fell intensively within just three hours, it is regarded as an unprecedented record-breaking heavy rain.

Given Death Valley’s characteristics as the hottest and driest region in North America, this is extremely unusual. Until then, the average rainfall in this area for this year was only 1mm, indicating a severe drought.

The US National Park Service stated that about 1,000 people were isolated due to the heavy rain, but there were no casualties.

Experts attribute the cause of the sudden heavy rain to "climate change." Due to abnormal high temperatures caused by climate change in the drought-stricken area, more water vapor remained in the atmosphere, resulting in this phenomenon.

The Guardian quoted a national park official as saying, "The once-in-a-thousand-years heavy rain this week shows an extreme aspect of climate change."