MIDLAND, Texas — Rain in West Texas is rare, but we appreciate it when it does fall.
The past couple of months have been dry in the region, but this weekend's rain chances look promising.
In fact, it is very possible that we catch up on our yearly deficit of almost 2.5 inches.
When we see the amount of rain that's forecasted for this weekend, it is generally considered a good thing. However, flooding is something that often worries residents when there's talk of rain.
And it only needs to rain a little bit before it starts to flood. Last October, we had a storm that dropped only a half inch of rain over Midland/Odessa and yet it flooded the streets enough to stall sedans and small vehicles in a few areas.
City of Midland Transportation Manager, Gabe McClelland states that the reason we flood so easily is due to how flat the area is.
Basically, the rain that falls isn't in any rush to move. In fact, the streets themselves act as a way to drain water out of the city.
This is why it is so important to practice caution when driving after a lot of rain. What may look like just a couple inches of water, may actually end up being several feet.
It is also important to note that it takes about 6 inches for your vehicle's wheels to lose traction, 12 inches to float a car and anywhere between 18 and 24 inches to wash away large trucks or SUVs.