In one of my favorite books, “The Control of Nature” by John McPhee, a third of the book discusses the topic of mud flows in California after wildfires occur on the steep slopes there. This story by Reuters tells a similar tale about what is likely to happen in the Southwest after wildfires burn down vegetation. This can cause the soil to become hydrophobic, which allows any subsequent rains to run off and cause flooding. You can read about it here.
