Heavy rainfall brings severe flooding in parts of Arizona

COTTONWOOD, Ariz. (FOX 10) - In a desperate search, Ryan Schumacher jumped in his truck and drove through his flooded fields hoping to find some of his goats.

"There are still some animals, get everybody safe," he said.

Schumacher says the Verde River spilled its banks at around 4 a.m., flooding the Cottonwood farm and his home.

"It was about shin deep in the house," he said. "I got in the front yard, it was knee deep. I tripped with my son in my arms... he was cold and scared."

"We're in the back corner, back behind the green container," Kevin Mallon said.

Mallon lives behind the farm and says he waited too long after the warning sounded and was forced to swim to safety with his dog, "Ohso."

"The dog was afraid because the water was so cold, my legs were getting cold," he said. "We started edging across the field. I fell over, he got dragged under a fence, but I had the collar on nice and tight. We were able to make it out to the neighbor's house."

The flooding was widespread.

Just off of Oak Creek Cliffs Drive, just outside of Sedona the water is receding, but at its highest point, the water hit a no trespassing sign along a bridge.

Water also rushed through the Dry Beaver Creek. Tony Corio lives nine miles away and barely escaped the water.

"I heard the water flowing, I thought it was wind at first, then I realized there was no wind blowing," he said.

Back in Cottonwood, Schumacher is grateful his family is safe and he's hopeful when the fields dry, he will be able to replant and rebuild the business he lost.

"Twelve acres of organic farms, I mean compost... years and years of working on the soil. We had a lot of crops," he said.