On Aug 7, the National Park Service (NPS) provided an update on Death Valley rains.
The update came after CNN reported on Aug. 6 that nearly 1,000 individuals were stranded in the Death Valley National Park area after heavy rainfall hit the park.
"Death Valley is an incredible place of extremes,” Park Superintendent Mike Reynolds said in an NPS news release. “It is the hottest place in the world and the driest place in North America. This week’s 1,000-year flood is another example of this extreme environment. With climate change models predicting more frequent and more intense storms, this is a place where you can see climate change in action!”
Daniel Berc, meteorologist for the National Weather Service Las Vegas, explained the event's frequency.
"The heavy rain that caused the devastating flooding at Death Valley was an extremely rare,” 1000-year event," he told the Interior Newswire. "A 1000-year event doesn't mean it happens once per 1000 years, rather that there is a 0.1% chance of occurring in any given year.”
The park closed on Aug. 5 when the rains hit, CNN said. Approximately 500 staff and 500 visitors were within the boundaries of the park. No injuries were reported at the time.
The flooding occurred when a torrential shower dumped 1.46 inches (3.7 cm) of rain throughout Furnace Creek, a Reuters report said. Park spokesperson Amy Wines noted that the rainfall nearly matched the previous daily record of 1.47 inches from a downpour in 1988.
A water treatment system for Cow Creek-area park residents and offices was put out of service; Reuters said.
