VAIL, Ariz. (KGUN) — For some, dark clouds on the horizon are a sign to hunker down or head in the opposite direction, but not for David Rankin.
“I started chasing storms as a kid in Southern Utah," Rankin said. "I used to hear the old-timers talk about flash floods coming down behind the town.”
So for the past two decades, he's been chasing storm, specifically those flash floods.
“I can see where the radar’s hitting, where the rain’s hitting, and I kind of know which washes are prone to flooding, so then I’ll just go camp out in those washes and wait for flash floods,” he said.
Those maps and radars pointed him toward Pantano Wash in Vail on Tuesday, allowing him to capture the moment water rushed under the bridge.
He says the power of water in the desert has always captured his interest.
“There’s two easy ways to die in the desert: thirst and drowning," Rankin laughed. "It’s really fascinating when you’re out here and you’re just in a bone dry wash and all of the sudden just like a land tsunami comes down.”
Even though Rankin says this was one of the smaller or more moderate flash floods he's seen this season, he warns that even the small floods could be dangerous.
“Always check your forecast before you go out hiking," he said. "The rain that creates a flash flood doesn’t have to hit where the flash flood hits, it can hit many many miles up basin, so you might not see a drop of rain and then you could still have a flash flood hit your area.”
