California: Visitors evacuated from Death Valley after exceptional floods
California's Death Valley - known to be the hottest place on earth - has seen intense and very rare rainfall.
AFP - -
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A receding water level and road rehabilitation work helped evacuate 1,000 people on Saturday who were stranded in California's notorious desert Death Valley after intense and very rare rainfall, officials said. National Park.
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About 500 visitors and 500 employees were stranded Friday, August 5 in the US national park due to unprecedented rainfall that caused flooding.
“
The hard work of road maintenance crews enabled visitors who could not leave the hotel area to drive out of the park, escorted by police
,” a statement said.
All roads serving the national park, located in eastern California, remained closed on Saturday and an aerial search was underway to "
ensure that no vehicles were stuck in a remote area of the park
". states the press release.
Water has receded across most of Death Valley, leaving behind large deposits of mud and gravel, park officials added, noting that damage assessments were still taking place.
On Friday, floodwaters tore up parts of the roadway, hurled garbage containers at now disused cars and flooded offices and hotels in the park.
The desert valley received 37 millimeters of rain at one time for an annual average total of "less than 50" millimeters.
“
Due to the severity and extent of this rainfall, it will take time to rebuild and reopen everything
,” park superintendent Mike Reynolds said Saturday.
Death Valley National Park is known to be the hottest place in the world and the driest place in North America, as stated on its website.
More than one and a half million tourists visit it every year.
With AFP
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