Monsoon weather wreaks havoc in Queen Creek neighborhoods, damages animal rescue

QUEEN CREEK, Ariz. - Friday night's monsoon wreaked havoc in the southeast Valley, causing downed power lines and trees, missing trampolines and some car windows were busted from high winds.

In some neighborhoods of Queen Creek, trees were down at nearly every home. Some snapped in half like twigs while others were uprooted from the ground.

"It was almost tornado-like," said Richard Street a Queen Creek resident who spent his Saturday chopping up the front yard tree that almost fell on his car.

"I’m glad to get rid of it. I wanted to get rid of it but not quite this way," he said.

Driving home during the Friday night storm was dangerous, says Jon Mayhew, a resident of Queen Creek. "One of the trees fell right in front of me and then I came to a stop and a big tree fell right behind me," he said.

Hunter Ellingson caught video of his drive home while he dodged falling trees. He said, "All the trees were in the road. We probably had this much room to squeeze by."

Then he checked on his backyard where his trampoline used to be. "The rest of the trampoline flew somewhere else," he said.

He’s not the only one searching for a trampoline either.  His neighbor Stephanie Kaener says she's missing her trampoline too.

Kaener said while they were busy putting their patio furniture inside, their trampoline blew away. "It was blowing us around when we were trying to get the furniture inside. It was literally blowing me and her side to side," she said.

Ann Marie Padilla, Queen Creek resident, says, "It felt like I was going to be Mary Poppins and taken away honestly."

Some residents in the area had windows blown out of their cars.

Animal rescue damaged by monsoon

An animal shelter in Queen Creek was ripped apart during Friday's storm.

Second Chance Dog Rescue had a dozen structures destroyed including a new prefabricated home.

One of the dog houses was lifted into the air and flipped over. One dog was hurt but is expected to be OK.

They are fundraising on their Facebook.

Related Stories:

• Power restored to thousands after monsoon storms battered the Valley
• Excessive heat warning issued for 6 Arizona counties
• Aftershocks from magnitude 6 quake continue to rattle California, Nevada

Tune in to FOX 10 Phoenix for the latest news:

Be prepared and stay safe during the monsoon

"Most Valley residents know how quickly and furiously storms can move in and out, bringing strong winds, dust, rain, and flash flooding. These storms can cause interruptions in services, such as water, power, and gas," stated Captain Ashley Losch of the Glendale Fire Department.

GFD reminds residents of ways they can be prepared and stay safe:

• Have flashlights with extra batteries on hand.
• Have food that can be prepared without the need for cooking or refrigeration.
• Have at least one gallon of clean water for each person in the household.
• Have backup power for anyone requiring power for a medical device.
• Have backup power for cell phones that do not require charging.
• Have a first aid kit ready and accessible.
• Never drive into areas with flowing water; it takes less than 10 inches to wash a car away.
• Avoid flooded areas, such as washes.
• If waters are rising, seek higher ground.
• Do not approach downed power lines, the ground can be energized for up to 200 feet.
• Keep pets indoors during storms.

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.