Flood watch issued across Arizona amid monsoon storms: Live radar, updates
A new round of monsoon weather made its way through parts of the Phoenix area on July 25, as a Flood Watch remains in effect across Arizona.
According to the National Weather Service, a Dust Advisory was issued for parts of the East Valley, including Ahwatukee, Chandler, and Tempe, until 2:45 p.m. The dust storm that moved through parts of the Valley on Monday moved out fairly quickly, but it did mark the start of a week of active weather for many parts of Arizona.
During the evening hours, a storm cell brought heavy rain to parts of Mesa, and about 1,100 SRP customers were without power.
A second Dust Advisory was issued Tuesday for areas along I-10 and State Route 87 in Pinal County, including in Casa Grande.
Elsewhere in the state, a Flood Watch was issued for all 15 Arizona counties as storms are expected to bring heavy rain, wind and lightning.
The following counties are affected:
- Cochise, Graham, Greenlee, Pima, Santa Cruz County: Until 5 am. on July 26
- Apache, Coconino, Gila, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo, Pinal County, Yavapai, Yuma: Until 5 a.m. on July 27
A Flash Flood Warning was also in effect in Maricopa County until 7 a.m. on July 26.
Flooding in northern Arizona
Parts of Coconino and Yavapai counties, including where there are burn scars from recent wildfires, were under a Flash Flood Warning much of Saturday. More flash flooding is expected for northern Arizona through Wednesday morning.
When areas of burn scars are flooded, water rushes down on the slick, burned areas quickly and is extremely powerful.
This monsoon season is already shaping up to be the worst Coconino County has seen in a decade, because the Pipeline Fire just re-burned the same area of the mountain as the Schultz Fire.
"Two fires and two floods in three months is a lot," said Clay McCauslin.
Damages from flash flooding can be seen in the city's Wupatki Trails neighborhood, as homeowners continue on with cleanup efforts. For McCauslin, how home suffered smoke damage from the Tunnel Fire, and he and his family will not be able to move back in for at least two more months. Nowadays, he checks on his home daily, due to flood worries.
"I’ve got two young kids, and so I was just telling my neighbor I’m nervous about the waters washing down the way, ‘cause he just said it was coming down a little bit ago, and it sounded like a freight train coming down the road. With my six-year-old, he’s always curious about getting into the mud and wanting to play in the dirt," said McCauslin.
Closer to town, it took a matter of minutes for one hotel's parking lot to fill with water that is about eight to 10 inches deep. The hotel's manager said the water came in from the street, as well as from an overflowing storm culvert in the back of the building. Floodwaters left the carpets in four ground-level rooms soaked.
"We called the city about how we need to do something for the area flooding," said Alfonso Quevedo. "All the water is coming through the back and the front also, so I tried to build something to stop the water, but the cars and the rain, it all floods the area."
The county has several self-serve sand-bagging stations for residents.
For more weather watches and warnings, click here.
Live radar
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Live updates
Road Conditions
- Call 511 anywhere in Arizona or 1-888-411-ROAD (7623)
- az511.com
Rain/flood safety tips
The American Red Cross' tips for heavy rain situations and flood safety:
- Turn around don’t drown! If you must drive and you encounter a flooded roadway, turn around and go another way.
- If you are caught on a flooded road and waters are rising rapidly around you, get out of the car quickly and move to higher ground.
- Tune in to your local radio, NOAA radio, or news channels for the latest updates.
- If your neighborhood is prone to flooding, be prepared to evacuate quickly.
- Follow evacuation orders and do not attempt to return until officials say it is safe.
- If power lines are down, do not step in puddles or standing water.
- If power is out, use a flashlight. Do not use any open flame as alternate lighting.
You can check the latest weather conditions by visiting the FOX 10 Phoenix weather page, or download the Free FOX 10 Weather app, which is available on Apple iOS and Android.