Flash flooding wreaks havoc
Heavy rainfall is a yearly occurrence during monsoon season in Arizona, but this year it seems to be particularly torrential and destructive.
Flooding from downpours in the Phoenix area forced evacuations, closed major roads and left at least a thousand people briefly without power, officials said. Meanwhile, dramatic scenes played out throughout the region, where dozens of people were helped out of stranded cars.
Perhaps the most striking rescue came around noon when a helicopter crew retrieved two women and three dogs from their house. They were pulled to safety as a river of water rose to roof level at their home north of Phoenix.
About an hour earlier, of- ficials evacuated residents from a small trailer park in New River, about 35 miles north of Phoenix.
About 20 people had to take cover in a Red Cross shelter at a school because the rainfall sent a nearby river over its banks and flooded the trailer park, said Dwight D’Evelyn, a spokesman for the Yavapai County Sheriff ’s Office.
“It was very quick,” he said of the gush of water heading for the park. “This came over fast and furious.”
No injuries were reported.
About the same time, the deluge flooded a creek near Interstate 17, south of New River. The creek overf lowed its banks, sending water cascading across the desert and onto the interstate.
“It was pretty wild to watch on TV,” said Timothy Tait, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Transportation. “It was a sheet of water coming across the desert, and when it hit the freeway it turned into a river. It moved really quickly.”
Tait said motorists did what they were supposed to do: stop and move to the left lanes. Nobody was injured and everyone was able to drive out once the road was cleared, he said.