Flagstaff braces for possibility of more flooding in areas burned by Museum Fire

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - The City of Flagstaff is getting ready for another rough monsoon, with crews delivering supplies to neighborhoods below the Museum Fire burn scar that were flooded in Summer 2021.

During 2021's summer season, flooding turned streets into raging rivers, and filled homes with water and mud. One video also shows a car that floated downstream.

"We survived last time, thank goodness, but I don’t know if it’s going to get worse or better," said Jeret Richards, who lives in the area.

Starting on May 13, the city is dropping off pallets full of sand bags to the neighborhood hit hard by flooding. This is a change from the past, where residents would fill the sand bags themselves.

The sandbags and trash bins that not dot neighborhoods in the flood zone give Northeast Flagstaff a look that some are not accustomed to.

"It’s frustrating to come down your street that looks like Beirut," said Paul Teran.

City officials say sandbag deliveries will continue until July.

In addition to sandbags, many hours and dollars have been spent on projects. These projects range from widening roads and washes and building catch basins, to setting up early-warning flood sirens and reshaping parts of the mountain itself.

However, even the brightest engineers can’t know how much the projects might help.

"It is a lot of math, a lot of understanding of the wash in a natural condition, but at the end of the day, it's monsoon storms," said Scott Overton with the City of Flagstaff's Public Works Department.

City leaders say it will take several years for the burn scar to heal, and get things back to the way they were.