Death Valley in the USA is famous for its heat and drought - but things are very different there at the moment. There was flooding after heavy rain. Hundreds of people are now stuck there.
In Death Valley in California, the driest place in the USA, around a thousand people are stranded after floods. According to the national park administration, no injuries were reported after the unusually heavy rainfall, but dozens of cars were stuck in the mud. All roads in and out of the national park were blocked.
"Unprecedented amounts of rain have caused significant flooding," said the national park administration. Around 500 visitors and 500 employees could not leave the national park in the Mojave Desert west of the casino metropolis Las Vegas for the time being. All roads will remain closed until officials have an overview of the extent of the damage. The water tore up streets and pushed dumpsters into parked cars. Several cars were pushed into each other. Offices and hotels were also under water.
In the Furnace Creek area, 3.7 centimeters of rain fell on Friday - almost the previous daily record. The average annual rainfall in Death Valley is two inches. The risk of heavy rain is increased by global warming, according to warnings from UN climate experts. Because a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, the frequency, intensity, and amount of heavy rains are increasing in many regions of the world.
