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2 people stuck on truck rescued from flooded Cave Creek wash
Firefighters say two people who were stuck on the roof of a pickup truck in a flooded wash in Cave Creek have been rescued. FOX 10s Anita Roman reports.
PHOENIX - We're expecting more rain in the Valley and snow in the high country. We have the latest weather updates below for the Phoenix area and northern Arizona.
Phoenix
In the Valley, scattered showers are in the forecast through Wednesday.
A cold front moving from the west will bring moderate rainfall to some parts of the metropolitan area.
Just north of the Valley, a Flood Warning is in effect for the New River until 9:45 a.m. as flooding in northern Arizona begins to move downstream.
Northern Arizona
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Latest storm brings more snow to Flagstaff
Its not just rain that Arizonans are dealing with, but the high country is also getting a fresh round of snow. FOX 10s Desiree Fluellen reports.
According to the National Weather Service, about a 30% chance of snow is expected Tuesday in Flagstaff, with winds up to 25 mph.
A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for areas above 8,000 feet and will last until Wednesday evening.
A number of evacuations have also been ordered in this part of Arizona, as of Mar. 21.
Read More: Areas of northern Arizona under evacuation orders due to severe flooding
Rivers rising
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Salt River Project releasing billions of gallons of water
A new round of stormy weather is prompting officials with SRP to increase the amount of water released from its two reservoirs. FOX 10's Danielle Miller reports.
Salt River Project said storms have compelled the utility to increase the number of water releases from its two reservoirs on the Verde River. The reservoirs are already more than 80% full, officials said in a news release.
SRP says it will begin Tuesday releasing 16,000 cubic feet of water per second, which translates into 120,000 gallons (455,000 liters) of water per second. The number of cubic feet per second could go up more later in the week.
Recent surveys found that snowpack on the 13,000-square mile (34,000-square kilometer) watershed that feeds into those Verde reservoirs is the deepest it’s been in 30 years. SRP, which serves mainly central Arizona, operates by strategically releasing water from dams on the Salt and Verde rivers into a network of canals.
Water rescue in Cave Creek
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Construction workers rescued from Cave Creek floodwaters
Two workers were rescued with help from Daisy Mountain Fire and Medical after their construction truck was washed downstream in Cave Creek on March 22.
Firefighters say two construction workers who attempted to get to a job site by crossing a flooded wash on March 22 in Cave Creek had to be rescued.
After driving their pickup truck into the wash, the truck was swept downstream with the men still inside. The men were able to climb out of the truck and onto the roof where they were eventually rescued, the Daisy Mountain Fire and Medical Department said.
The men were not hurt.
"Please do not cross flooded roadways, the risk is not worth your life and the safety of our rescuers," the department said.
Meteorologist tracking floodwaters
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Meteorologists tracking floodwaters as it heads to the Valley
When the Arizona High Country gets big amounts of rain and snow, the moisture will eventually trickle downhill, and FOX 10's Marissa Sarbak has more on what meteorologists in the Phoenix area are doing to track the floodwater.
According to officials with Maricopa County Flood Control, this winter has been a wet one.
"There’s a lot of snow, especially above 6,500 feet right now. 200%-300% of normal. That snow is starting to melt. On top of that, we’re getting additional rainfall. The watersheds are wet. All of it comes down as runoff," said Maricopa County Flood Control Flood Warning Program Manager Daniel Henz.
Henz talked about the ways Maricopa County Flood Control monitors floodwaters.
"We have hundreds of rain gauges, stream gauges, gauges behind dams that are collecting data 24/7, sending it back here," said Henz. "Each one of those sensors has some kind of alert tied to it where we know 'OK, a water crossing might start to be filled, we need to notify City of Phoenix or City of Scottsdale."
The extra moisture, however, won't all go to the state's groundwater system.
"Most people see a lot of rain, a lot of surface water, and the assumption is that it's going to recharge the aquifer system, and in reality, it'll be less than 10% of that rainwater will make it to the aquifer," said Ryan Mitchell, Chief Hydrologist with the Arizona Department of Water Resources.
Like other officials, Henz also took a chance to warn members of the public about the dangers of floodwater.
"If we have a thousand cubic feet moving by every second, that’s basically a bulldozer or a full size fire truck that is pushing at you, every second," said Henz. "Your car has no chance against it. You have no chance against it."
Latest forecast
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Evening Weather Forecast - 3/22/2023
It appears we may be done with bad weather in Arizona, at least for now.
MORE: Arizona weather forecast: Wet weather is headed our way, again
Latest updates
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