Monsoon 2022: Cleanup efforts continue after Arizona's stormy weekend
PHOENIX - Cleanup efforts remain ongoing in parts of the Phoenix area on July 18, after a weekend of monsoon weather brought lots of damage to various parts of the Valley.
The weekend of wild weather has resulted in cities across the Valley being left with severe damage, from fallen trees to downed power lines.
As of the afternoon of July 18, thousands are still without power.
Read More: Arizona's latest monsoon storms leave thousands without power, cause severe damage
East Valley
According to officials with the National Weather Service, a microburst happened in parts of the East Valley, which packed wind gusts of up to 80 miles per hour. The microburst knocked down some power lines, as well as leveling a home and trapping a woman inside.
On July 18, people are still sifting through what's left of the home.
"It rumbled and lifted up, and everything was shaking. Felt like I was in a boat," Elaine Cabrera recounted.
The incident happened along State Route 87. The house, which belongs to a woman identified as Suzette Garcia, was reportedly lifted up by the storm, and tossed 30 feet onto a road.
Cabrera and Garcia's daughter ran out to find her in the debris.
"She was calling for help. She was moaning. In a lot of pain. For some reason, her wheelchair was just right there, so her daughter pulled her out, put her in the wheelchair and got her back to her house, and the ambulance finally came," Cabrera recounted.
People at the scene immediately afterwards said the rain was falling so fast onto the debris, that it felt like they were taking a shower.
Garcia's sister, Paula Ray, returned from the hospital on July 18. She described her sister's current condition.
"She was able to talk to us, knew who we were, and then, they moved her up to ICU overnight," said Ray.
Everyone living near Garcia will now look for a hotel for the night, as they try to clean up what's left.
"I feel sad, and hurt that she’s hurt," said Cabrera. "I don’t wish this on her, or anybody. I know there’s a lot of devastation in our community right now, with this whatever happened, so it’s terrible. She said she heard it coming, got up to go out, ended up in the kitchen/ She literally felt her trailer lift come down and then roll. She was trying to make it out but couldn’t make it out."
Meanwhile, State Route 87 has partially reopened between Gilbert Road and Shea Boulevard. The highway remains closed between McDowell and Gilbert Roads.
West Valley
The weekend storms also affected parts of the West Valley, with Buckeye getting slammed by high wind and rain on Saturday and Sunday.
"He said it sounded like a sonic boom," said Trevor Bale, describing a wild Saturday night storm that mangled a shade for horses on his hay farm, and destroyed parts of the roof over their main store.
Farther north, in the Sundance community at around 275th Avenue and Van Buren, hundreds of Mesquite and Palo Verde trees were pocked up, and laid down by mother nature.
"It's just been non-stop for our crews," said Annie Dechance with the City of Buckeye.
In and around Buckeye, private and city crews can be seen engaging in cleanup efforts.
Eloy
The storm affected more than just people living in the Phoenix area, as people in the Eloy area also saw widespread power outages as a result of the storm.
"It started off a red storm. The whole sky was red," said Blake Ramirez, who lives in the Eloy area. "Next thing you know, everything went black, and rain everywhere."
The storm took down more than a dozen power poles along Battaglia Road, resulting in power outages, which continued into July 18, as people deal with hot daytime temperatures that Arizonan often experience during the summer months.
Residents were alerted that their electricity would be out for another couple of days, leaving them sweltering inside their homes.
"This morning, I went into Casa Grande because they had power," said resident Elaine Matthies. "Last night, I just opened the windows and enjoyed the 76 degrees outside. It was a little warm."
"We’re getting ready to head down to Sun Splash. House is about 80F right now," said Ramirez.
Read More: Many still left without power after powerful Sunday night storm battered Eloy area