Being prepared will help keep you safe this monsoon season

You probably have seen the images of large dust storms blanketing communities with walls of dust during a summer monsoon storm. Visibility on our roadways can turn to almost nothing and be dangerous to drive through during one of these dust storms. That’s why I want to remind everyone to be prepared this monsoon season and keep safety in mind.

Arizona’s summer monsoon season starts on June 15 and lasts through Sept. 30. But, monsoon storms can happen outside of those dates. We can anticipate storms that bring lightning, rain, flooding and walls of dust. 

Monsoon Awareness Week is June 11-17 this year. It provides the Arizona Department of Transportation the opportunity to remind drivers of the dangers associated with our monsoon storms, especially dust storms. Our “Pull Aside, Stay Alive” safety campaign provides drivers with the tools to stay safe, if you are ever near or caught in a dust storm. Remember to:

• Check traffic all around you and begin to slow down
• Pull off to the side of the road or exit if you can
• Turn off your lights including emergency flashers
• Set the emergency brake and leave your foot off the brake
• Stay in your vehicle and buckle up
• Wait for the storm to pass

There is a particular stretch of Interstate 10 in southern Arizona that is prone to dust storms. Becoming operational in 2020, the first-in-the-nation dust detection and warning system is located on a 10-mile stretch on Interstate 10 near Eloy, between mileposts 209 and 219. The dust-detection technology employed includes overhead message boards, variable speed limit signs, closed-circuit cameras, short-range detectors for blowing dust and a weather radar that sits on a 22-foot tower. The dust detection system has helped detect and warn drivers of blowing dust. 

I would encourage you to add the AZ511 app to your phone for up-to-the-minute road alerts. If inclement weather causes delays or a road closure, you’ll receive updates from AZ 511.

Being prepared will help keep you and your family safe this monsoon season. It’s an important reminder for everyone to keep safety in mind at all times.

Director Jennifer Toth has led ADOT since January 2023.