Amajoni oMkhosi wase-US we-Arizona National Guard akhokela abakhenkethi abanjiswe zizikhukula zequbuliso kwi-UH-60 Blackhawk, ngoMgqibelo, nge-24 ka-Agasti 2024, kwiHavasupai Reservation eSupai, e-Ariz. (Maj. Erin Hannigan/US Army via AP) I-ASSOCIATED PRESS SANTA FE, NM (AP) - Izikhukula zequbuliso ezaguqula uthotho lweengxangxasi ezintle nezimthubi zaba ligwebu elimdaka elibi zazinoburhalarhume kodwa zazingaqhelekanga kwixesha lemvula lasehlotyeni kwindawo yokubhukisha yaseHavasupai, enye yezona ndawo zikude kakhulu kwilizwekazi lase-US ezitsala abakhenkethi kwihlabathi liphela.
Kodwa ngeli xesha ukuxinana kwamanzi okwabangela ukuba amakhulu abantu abahamba ngeenyawo bafune indawo ephakamileyo - abanye ngaphakathi kwimiqolomba kwiindonga zemiqolomba - kwaguquka kwaba yingozi. Ibhinqa lakhukuliswa laya kuMlambo iColorado ngaphakathi kwiGrand Canyon, lisenza umgudu wokukhangela nokuhlangula owawuthatha iintsuku ezininzi oquka iNational Park Service kwindawo eyahlukileyo engenakufikelelwa ziifowuni, ngaphakathi kwemiqolomba yasentlango efikeleleka kuphela ngeenyawo, iimeyile okanye iihelikopta. Emva kweentsuku ezintathu kwaye kwiikhilomitha ezingama-30 ukusuka emlanjeni, iqela lokuzonwabisa lokuhamba ngenqanawa emfuleni laza kusombulula uphendlo. Emva koko, abasindileyo kunye nabahlanguli babambelela kumabali osizi oluhlanganyelweyo, umbulelo kunye nentlonipho ngamanzi aguqukele kubundlobongela obungalindelekanga.
Imvula yokuqala, emva koko isiphithiphithi
Usuku lwesikhukula esikhulu lwaqala ngaphambi kokuba kuse, kubahambi behla baye kwintlambo eluhlaza behamba ngeenyawo kangangeekhilomitha ezisibhozo (iikhilomitha ezili-13) besiya kwilali esembindini weHavasupai.
Ukusuka apho, abakhenkethi baya kwiindawo abazithandayo — uthotho lweengxangxasi ezinkulu kunye nendawo yokukhempisha ecaleni komlambo. Amanzi alo mngxuma ahlala eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka atsala abakhenkethi abavela kwihlabathi liphela.
Ugqirha wengqondo uHanna St. Denis, oneminyaka engama-33 ubudala, uhambe esuka eLos Angeles ukuya kubona imimangaliso yendalo kuhambo lwakhe lokuqala ebusuku, ehamba nomhlobo wakhe, behamba ngendlela ngaphambi kokusa ngoLwesine odlulileyo baze bafikelele kwingxangxasi yokugqibela kwiingxangxasi ezintathu ezidumileyo emini.
Kwafika imvula ethe nkqo. Ngaphantsi kweeNgxangxasi zaseBeaver, umntu obhukudayo waphawula umsinga okhawulezayo. Amanzi aqala ukuhluma kwiindonga zemigxobhozo, ekhupha amatye njengoko umlambo utshintsha umbala wetshokholethi kwaye ukhukhumala.
“Bekusiba mdaka kancinci kancinci emaphethelweni kwaye sikhula, saza saphuma apho,” utshilo uSt. Denis. Yena nabanye abantu abahamba ngeenyawo bakhwela ileli baya kwindawo ephezulu bengenandlela yokwehla njengoko amanzi ayenyuka. “Besibukele imithi emikhulu ikrazulwa kunye neengcambu, emhlabeni.”
Wayengenandlela yokubiza uncedo okanye ukubona kwikona elandelayo yomngxuma.
Kwindawo yokukhempisha ekufutshane, uMichael Langer oneminyaka engama-55 ubudala waseFountain Hills, eArizona, waphawula amanzi ehla evela kwezinye iindawo esiya entlanjeni.
“Emva kwemizuzwana elishumi, ilungu lesizwe lafika libaleka kwiindawo zokukhempisha likhwaza, ‘Izikhukula ezikhawulezileyo, ukufuduka okungxamisekileyo, balekani niye kwindawo ephakamileyo,’” utshilo uLanger.
Kufuphi, iMooney Falls eyayiduma kakhulu yanda kakhulu, njengoko abantu ababemanzi bebaleka besiya kwishelufu ephakamileyo baze bazihlalele kwiindawo ezifihlakeleyo.
Iimpawu zoxinzelelo
Ngo-1:30 emva kwemini amagosa eGrand Canyon National Park ecaleni komhlaba waseHavasupai aqala ukufumana iifowuni zoxinzelelo ezivela kwizixhobo eziqhagamshelwe kwisathelayithi ezinokudlulisa izilumkiso ze-SOS, imiyalezo ebhaliweyo kunye neefowuni zelizwi apho iifowuni zingafikeleli khona.
“Njengoko loo mngxuma uncinci, kunzima kakhulu ukukhupha unxibelelwano; bekungekho kuqonda ngokucacileyo ubungakanani bobomi babantu obulahlekileyo okanye ukwenzakala kwabo ekuqaleni,” utshilo uJoelle Baird, isithethi sepaki.
Ipaki yayijongene neengxelo ezigqithisileyo zabantu abaninzi ababulewe kodwa yaqinisekisa isiganeko esoyikisayo. Abantu ababini abahamba ngeenyawo — indoda nomfazi — babekhukuliswe zizikhukula njengoko babehamba kufutshane nendawo apho iHavasu Creek ithululela khona kuMlambo iColorado.
UBaird uthe, ngentsimbi yesi-4 emva kwemini, ikhefu kwimozulu lavumela ipaki ukuba ithumele ihelikopta kwaye ilungiselele ukujikeleza okukhawulezileyo komhlaba kuloo ndawo.
U-Andrew Nickerson, umyeni, wathathwa ngobo busuku liqela elalihamba ngephenyane kumgama weemayile ezingama-450 (iikhilomitha ezingama-280) zomlambo odlula kwiGrand Canyon.
“Ndandisele ndisemncinci kakhulu ukuba ndife xa umntu endingamaziyo watsiba esikhepheni sakhe somlambo waza wabeka ubomi bakhe esichengeni ngaphandle kokuthandabuza ukundisindisa emanzini alwayo,” wabhala uNickerson kamva kwimidiya yoluntu.
Umfazi wakhe, uChenoa Nickerson oneminyaka engama-33 ubudala, ukhukuliswe wangena kumjelo omkhulu womlambo waza akafumaneki. Iphephandaba liphume ngoLwesihlanu likhangela umntu onsundu olahlekileyo, omde onamehlo aluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka. Njengabaninzi abahamba ngeenyawo eHavasupai, wayenganxibanga ijakethi yokusindisa ubomi.
Ixesha lezikhukula ezikhawulezayo
Ingcali yemozulu yelizwe laseArizona uErinanne Saffell uthe izikhukula ezikhawulezileyo kulo mngxuma bezinzima kodwa aziqhelekanga, nangona kungekho ngcinga yokuba ukufudumala kwehlabathi okubangelwe ngabantu okubangele ukuba kubekho imozulu embi kakhulu.
“Lixesha lethu lemvula kwaye imvula iyana kwaye ayinandawo yokuya kuyo, ngoko ke inokubangela umonakalo omkhulu kubantu abasendleleni,” utshilo.
Singabonelela ngeendidi ngeendidi zeenzwa zokubeka esweni amanzi, ukujonga idatha yesantya samanzi ngexesha langempela ngempumelelo:
Ixesha lokuthumela: Sep-02-2024