LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A rare burst of rain in Death Valley National Park has forced multiple road closures and created hazardous travel conditions after the weekend storms.
Park officials said the storm dropped six-tenths of an inch of rain at Furnace Creek. That’s more than a quarter of the park’s typical annual rainfall falling in a single day.
The steep and rocky landscape causes water to run off quickly, triggering fast-moving floods filled with mud, rocks and debris. Those flows have damaged roadways, washed out shoulders and made travel dangerous.
Several roads are now closed, including Badwater Road, North Highway, West Side Road, Twenty Mule Team Canyon and Charcoal Kilns Road.
North Highway and Badwater Road had only just reopened after late-summer flood repairs but were forced to close again just two days later because of this latest storm, a National Park Service release stated.
Several major corridors remain open, including CA-190 across the park, CA-178 Trona Wildrose Road, Daylight Pass and the route to Dantes View, officials said.
Crews are continuing to assess damage. Park officials warn that unpaved roads may be impassable due to mud or erosion.
Visitors are urged to use caution and check road conditions before traveling. The latest updates can be found on the park’s website at nps.gov/deva.
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