Emergency Prepareness Tips Amid Rain And Hurricane Kay In The Forecast

By Janet Cruz

Monsoon season and unpredictable weather is upon Lake Havasu City and around the state.

Sept. 4, a powerful wind dust storm with gusts according to the National Weather Service well over 58 to 60 mph blew through Lake Havasu City causing damage to certain parts of the city. At around 5 and 5:30 p.m., there were reports by residents of the collapse and breakage of many power poles from high gusts resulting in a power outage leaving more than 2,000 houses in Lake Havasu City without power and many more in other parts of Mohave County. As of Wednesday, most power had been fully restored with only a few still without.

According to Dan Berc, Warning Coordination Meteorologist of Vegas National Weather Service, the area could be hit with some rain and even a possible hurricane this weekend.

“As of Wednesday morning, Hurricane Kay is a category 2 hurricane off the coast of Baja, Calif. It will ride up west side of Baja, Calif., in the next couple days and will continue on up the coast.”

According to the National Weather Service website, Lake Havasu is in the SLGT risk area for flooding Friday afternoon into Saturday.

Berc also said moisture will impact a larger area including Lake Havasu City. At the moment, however the weather prediction center, has Havasu in a marginal to slight risk for excessive rainfall.

“There will be thunderstorms in the area. I don’t know that they will specifically impact Havasu. More common the further south you go. Storms aren’t likely to produce winds like Sunday’s storm, but it is possible,” Berc said.

According to Berc the moisture is going to be impacting much of the Southwest. He says the greatest impact is in Southern California. The moisture will also be deep enough that flooding will be a bigger threat Friday through Saturday. Saturday will be the biggest day for the storms and excessive rainfall.

Flooded washes and roadways can often be dangerous during excessive rainfall in the Lake Havasu City area. “Turn around, don’t drown.” Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

Should we have another outage there are some ways Lake Havasu City residents can prepare which includes having a generator on hand for power.

“The city has various locations where we are able to utilize for cooling stations. The most frequently opened are the council chambers located at the police department,” said Lake Havasu City Police Chief Dan Doyle. We typically open the police facility first, and if we get a large demand, we open the community center as well,” he said.

Power poles are snapped in different areas throughout Lake Havasu Monday morning after a storm rolled through Sunday afternoon. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

Tips for preparing for the next Power Outage According to LHCPD

1. Consider purchasing LED lights or solar lanterns. Keep flashlights and batteries within reach.

2. Maintain an adequate amount of nonperishable foods in the home that do not require heating.

3. Should you lose power consider packing an ice chest with medications and food items.

4. Keep frozen ice packs to use in an ice chest should you lose power.

5. Keep cash on hand and fill up your gas tanks. Keep electric vehicles charged.

6. Consider your pets needs.

7. Always try to keep cell phones fully charged.

Should any resident find themselves without power again or need help locating a cooling station, contact the Lake Havasu City Police Department at 928-855-4111.

The Lake Havasu Police Department is located at 2360 McCulloch Blvd., and the Lake Havasu City Aquatic and Community Center is located on Park Avenue.

You may also follow the city’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/LHCAZGOV for updates on cooling stations and information. UniSource also has an interactive outage map that can help keep residents informed as well at https://www.uesaz.com/