Amasosha e-US Army e-Arizona National Guard aqondisa izivakashi ezivaleleke yizikhukhula ezisheshayo e-UH-60 Blackhawk, ngoMgqibelo, Agasti 24, 2024, eHavasupai Reservation eSupai, e-Ariz. (Maj. Erin Hannigan/US Army via AP) I-ASSOCIATED PRESS SANTA FE, NM (AP) — Isikhukhula esisheshayo esaguqula uchungechunge lwezimpophoma ezinhle nezicwebezelayo zaba ugwebu olunsundu olubi sasinolaka kodwa sasingavamile ngesikhathi semvula sasehlobo eHavasupai reservation, enye yezindawo ezikude kakhulu zezwekazi lase-US eziheha izivakashi emhlabeni jikelele.
Kodwa kulokhu ukugeleza kwamanzi okwabangela amakhulu abantu abahamba ngezinyawo befuna indawo ephakeme - abanye ngaphakathi kwezingodo nasemagodini ezindongeni zesigodi - kwaba yingozi enkulu. Owesifazane wathathwa waya eMfuleni iColorado ngaphakathi kweGrand Canyon, eqala umsebenzi wokufuna nokutakula wezinsuku eziningi ohilela iNational Park Service endaweni eyingqayizivele engafinyeleleki kumaselula, ngaphakathi kwezigodi zasehlane ezifinyeleleka kuphela ngezinyawo, ngeminyuzi noma ngezindiza ezinophephela emhlane. Ezinsukwini ezintathu kamuva futhi amakhilomitha angu-30 (amakhilomitha angu-30) ezansi komfula, iqembu lokuzilibazisa lokuhamba ngesikebhe emfuleni lalizoxazulula ukusesha. Ngemva kwalokho, abasindile nabahlengikazi banamathela ezindabeni zosizi oluhlanganyelwe, ukubonga kanye nenhlonipho ngamanzi aphenduke ubudlova obungalindelekile.
Imvula yokuqala, bese kuba yisiphithiphithi
Usuku lwesikhukhula esikhulu lwaqala ngaphambi kokusa kwabahambi abahamba ngezinyawo behla esigodini esiluhlaza ohambweni lwamakhilomitha angu-8 (13 km) ngemizila yokubuyela emuva eya edolobhaneni elisenkabeni yeHavasupai.
Ukusuka lapho, izivakashi ziyahamba ziye ezindaweni zazo ezikhethiwe — uchungechunge lwezimpophoma ezinhle kakhulu kanye nendawo yokukhempa eseceleni komfula. Amanzi alesi sigodi ngokuvamile aluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka adonsela izivakashi ezivela emhlabeni wonke.
Udokotela wezokwelapha umzimba uHanna St. Denis, oneminyaka engu-33 ubudala, uhambe esuka eLos Angeles ukuyobona izimangaliso zemvelo ohambweni lwakhe lokuqala ngqa lokuhamba ngemithwalo ebusuku, enomngane wakhe, behamba ngendlela ngaphambi kokusa ngoLwesine olwedlule futhi bafika ekugcineni kwezimpophoma ezintathu ezidumile emini.
Kwafika imvula eqinile. Ngaphansi kweBeaver Falls, umuntu obhukudayo wabona umsinga osheshayo. Amanzi aqala ukuhluma ezindongeni zesigodi, ekhipha amatshe njengoba umfula uphenduka umbala wetshokolethi futhi ukhukhumala.
“Kwakungathi kancane kancane kuba nsundu emaphethelweni futhi kuba banzi, sabe sesiphuma lapho,” kusho uSt. Denis. Yena nabanye abahamba ngezinyawo bakhuphuka ileli baya endaweni ephakeme bengenandlela yokwehla njengoba amanzi ekhuphuka. “Sasibuka imithi emikhulu ikhishwa nezimpande, emhlabathini.”
Wayengenandlela yokubiza usizo noma ngisho nokubona ekhoneni elilandelayo lomhosha.
Esikhungweni sokukhempa esiseduze, uMichael Langer oneminyaka engu-55 ubudala waseFountain Hills, e-Arizona, wabona amanzi egeleza esigodini evela kwezinye izindawo.
“Ngemva kwemizuzwana eyishumi, ilungu lesizwe lafika ligijima ezindaweni zokukhempa limemeza, ‘Isikhukhula esikhulu, ukuphuma kwabantu ngokuphuthumayo, balekelani endaweni ephakeme,’” kulandisa uLanger.
Eduze, iMooney Falls eyayiduma yanda kakhulu, njengoba abantu ababemanzi behamba ngezinyawo begijimela eshalofini eliphakeme futhi bezibopha ezindlini ezincane.
Izimpawu zokucindezeleka
Ngo-1:30 ntambama izikhulu eGrand Canyon National Park eduze nezwe laseHavasupai zaqala ukuthola izingcingo zosizi ezivela kumadivayisi axhunywe ngesathelayithi angathumela izexwayiso ze-SOS, imiyalezo yombhalo kanye nezingcingo zezwi lapho omakhalekhukhwini bengeke bafinyelele khona.
“Njengoba leyo canyon incane, kunzima kakhulu ukudlulisa ukuxhumana; bekungekho ukuqonda okucacile ngesilinganiso sokuphila kwabantu okulahlekile noma ukulimala ekuqaleni,” kusho uJoelle Baird, okhulumela ipaki.
Ipaki yayibhekene nemibiko eyeqisayo yabantu abalimele kakhulu kodwa yaqinisekisa isenzakalo esesabekayo. Abantu ababili abahamba ngezinyawo - indoda nomfazi - bakhukhulwe yizikhukhula njengoba babehamba ngezinyawo eduze kwendawo lapho iHavasu Creek ithululela khona eMfuleni iColorado.
Ngo-4 ntambama, ikhefu lesimo sezulu lavumela ipaki ukuthi ithumele indiza enophephela emhlane futhi ihlele ukuqapha okusheshayo endaweni, kusho uBaird.
U-Andrew Nickerson, umyeni, wathathwa ngalobo busuku yiqembu elalihamba ngesikebhe endaweni engamakhilomitha angu-450 yomfula edlula eGrand Canyon.
“Ngangisele nemizuzwana embalwa ngaphambi kokufa lapho umuntu engingamazi egxuma esikebheni sakhe somfula futhi ebeka impilo yakhe engozini ngaphandle kokungabaza ukungisindisa emanzini anamandla,” kubhala uNickerson kamuva ezinkundleni zokuxhumana.
Umkakhe, uChenoa Nickerson oneminyaka engu-33 ubudala, wakhukhulwa wangena emseleni omkhulu womfula futhi akatholakalanga. Iphephandaba liphume ngoLwesihlanu lifuna owesifazane onsundu olahlekile, omude onamehlo aluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka. Njengabaningi abahamba ngezinyawo eHavasupai, wayengagqokile ijazi lokusindisa impilo.
Isizini yesikhukhula
Isazi Sezulu sase-Arizona State u-Erinanne Saffell uthe izikhukhula ezinkulu ezidlula esigodini bezinkulu kodwa azivamile, ngisho noma kungacatshangelwa ukufudumala komhlaba okubangelwe ngabantu okuholele ezimweni ezimbi kakhulu zezulu.
“Kuyingxenye yesizini yethu yezimvula ezinkulu futhi imvula iyana futhi ayinandawo yokuya, ngakho-ke ingahamba ibanga elide futhi ibangele umonakalo omkhulu kubantu abasengozini,” kusho yena.
Singahlinzeka ngezinzwa ezahlukahlukene zokuqapha amanzi, ukuqapha okusebenzayo ngesikhathi sangempela kwedatha yejubane lamanzi:
Isikhathi sokuthunyelwe: Septhemba-02-2024