Rainy season unleashes with fury, beauty in US Southwest

By FELICIA FONSECA
Associated Press

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — After two bone-dry years that sank the U.S. Southwest deeper into drought, this summer’s rainy season has unleashed with fury. Monsoon storms have brought spectacular lightning shows, bounties of wildflowers and widespread rainfall. But destruction also came as streets and homes flooded, leading to some swift water rescues and more than a dozen deaths. It’s a marked reversal from 2019 and 2020, when the seasonal weather pattern left the Southwest parched. And, it’s not over yet. The season runs through September. Despite all the moisture, the region still is trending hot and dry because of climate change.