Phoenix swamped by storm remnants

PHOENIX — Remnants of a tropical storm drenched parts of the desert Southwest on Tuesday, trapping some drivers on swamped Phoenix streets as authorities prepared for possible flash flooding in Arizona, central Utah and elsewhere.

Rosa, a hurricane that was downgraded to a tropical storm and then to a tropical depression, reportedly killed one person in northwestern Mexico before moving north into the U.S.

The National Weather Service issued a flash-flood warning for the Phoenix area, saying that more than 2 inches of rain fell in metro Phoenix by midmorning and additional rain was expected.

The city sees sudden and heavy downpours during the summertime monsoon, but the continuously falling rain is a rarity. The heavy showers caused a riverbed to overflow, spilling muddy waters into a north Phoenix intersection. Crews pulled at least six people, including a child, from vehicles and carried them one at a time to a firetruck.

Around 10 vehicles, including a bus, were either at a standstill in the water or tried to drive through it.

The wet weather was a factor in numerous Phoenix-area freeway wrecks but no serious crashes were reported, said Trooper Kameron Lee of the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

The rain also led three elementary schools and one high school to close for the day. Maricopa Community Colleges canceled classes at all 10 of its campuses.

Flash-flood watches were in effect in parts of Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah.