FAQ:
1. Where do all of the trees / debris come from?
A lot of people are surprised to see so much wood / debris in these floods. This debris travels long distances from where the floods are being generated. For instance, If I film a debris packed flood in the Paria River in southern UT, that flood may have been generated more than 8 hours before and 40+ miles away. The highest elevations of the Paria catchment are a few thousand feet above where I am filming and there are pine forests.
2. Where does it all go?
All of the flash floods I film are on the Colorado Plateau, so they eventually drain into the Colorado River.
3. Is that dangerous?
Yes. I grew up around here so I have a very good understanding of the way flash floods behave and the topography of the landscape. All of my filming locations are carefully evaluated before I go in to film a flood. Flood size is very hard to predict so before getting close I gauge how large the flood is from a safe location first. The most dangerous place to be during the southwest monsoon season is in a slot canyon. The areas I chase are very wide stream beds where every inch the flood comes up requires an exponentially greater volume of water to fill. This also makes it easier to escape. Statistically, most flash flood deaths occur in vehicles when people are trying to cross flooded roadways.
4. Why don't you use a drone?
I do. A lot of my popular videos were filmed well before consumer drones were affordable. Look at my recent videos and you'll see drone footage.
5. How long do they last?
This is fully dependent on how long the rain event that created the flood lasted. 9 of 10 times these are rather quick thunderstorms that burst up, dump a few inches of rain, then leave. The floods typically peak right after the front wall comes through and start dropping back down within the hour. This is also why it is not a smart idea to panic if you get on the wrong side of the flood. They are typically back to a trickle within 6 hours. Just wait it out then cross.
If you have any more questions, feel free to ask below and I'll append the FAQ.