Last week looked a lot like monsoon season in Fountain Hills and, if the weather reports are to be believed, it looks like the town could be in for even more long-winded downpours over the course of the next several months.

It’s the wrong time of year for it, but Arizonans are told to expect monsoon-like weather as the El Nino storms turn the Valley of the Sun into something more akin to Seattle.

That being the case, it’s important to remember that with heavy rain come additional considerations. Out on the roads, motorists are encouraged to pay special attention to all signage, especially in wash areas. While no street closures occurred due to rainfall in Fountain Hills throughout the past week, Arizona can be prone to flash floods and, let’s face it, nobody wants to be seen on the 5 o’clock news riding their Toyota Canoe down through a formerly empty wash. If a sign encourages you to “Do not cross when flooded” and the water is running heavily, it’s probably safer to just take the long way around.

With more than two inches of rain recorded in the area last week, it might be a good idea to turn to sites like monsoonsafety.org for a refresher on how to handle the extra moisture.

The site recommends keeping an eye on weather reports, especially if you’re planning to do some traveling during a predicted downpour. It might be best to postpone your plans rather than get caught out in the cold.

Arizona pets also love the outdoors, but not so much when it is pouring. Keep an eye on the weather before letting the critters out in the yard, especially since many enclosed yards filled up with lots of water last week.

If you noticed your yard was one of those that happened to be turning into a swimming pool, it might be a good idea to grab some sand bags and place them in front of patio doors.

In short, keep your wits about you and we can all pull through this together. A little rain never hurt anybody, but extra precaution should be taken when “a little” turns into “a whole lot.”