Can the desert really bloom?

Yes, when it rains after years in the desert, the seeds lying dormant in the ground germinate immediately, and the desert becomes a bed of flowers. The splendor, however, is short-lived. After a few days the plants wither again-but not before creating new seeds, which wait for the next time it rains. Rainfall in the desert often leads to devastating floods because the barren land can barely absorb any water. The water flows off the surface and the small rivulets grow very rapidly to become wide, torrential rivers.