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(CNN) — Need more proof that it’s been a crazy winter for weather and travel? Look no further than Death Valley National Park.
Another round of tornadoes destroyed roads in the Death Valley area this week, according to a news release from the US National Park Service. Several storms have hit the park since late July, and many roads that opened after August’s record rainfall have been closed again.
“Road crews are exhausted from clearing and then re-clearing the same sections of road,” the NPS statement said.
“It’s been a fun few weeks of rain, record heat, and even a hurricane remnant!” Superintendent Mike Reynolds said. “There are no more storms in the forecast. We hope to make real progress to open more of the park soon.”
Which roads are closed?
The west entrance has been closed since Friday due to heavy damage on California Highway 190 west of the park, which is mostly in California with a small portion in neighboring Nevada.
He said that portion of CA-190 reopened for a few hours Tuesday, but said the overnight storm “caused more damage than the previous storm.”
Most of the paved roads into the park are closed. “The only access to the park is from the east via Death Valley Junction and CA-190,” the statement said.
As of Friday morning, these features were still driveable:
• Zabriskie point
• Harmony Borax Works/Mustard Canyon
• Dante’s way of seeing
• Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
This week, NPS road crews “focused on Badwater Road … sections of the road have debris up to three feet thick. Eroded shoulders leave unsafe drop-offs. The park will reopen the road from CA-190 to the Badwater Basin through September 24,” the release said. He explained.
Why so many floods?
Just a little water can do a lot of damage in the desert. Here, cars are stuck in mud and debris from a flash flood in Death Valley on Aug. 5.
National Park Service / AP
August 5 was the worst day for flooding in the park, when the Furnace Creek weather station recorded 1.7 inches of rain.
Some people may be surprised that less than 2 inches of rain can make headlines; Also, places along the Gulf Coast can get that much rain in one day. A little notice. But in arid areas, that much rain can cause flooding.
CNN’s seven-day weather forecast The park has nothing but sunny skies and high temperatures ranging from 92 degrees Fahrenheit (33 degrees Celsius) to 102 degrees Fahrenheit (39 degrees C).
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