Parts of Flagstaff sustained unprecedented flooding this week as strong monsoon storms hit the area.
Homes near the base of Mt. Elden have been particularly prone to flooding since the 2019 Museum Fire. KNAU’s Angela Gervasi caught up with Kathy Lozania, a resident of the Sunnyside neighborhood, as she and her husband dug out of the mud with the rest of their neighbors.
“This is a main drag that all the water was coming from the fire,” Lozania told KNAU on Wednesday. “Yesterday, about this time, we were sitting here watching all the trees and all the garbage cans and everything just floating down, and we couldn’t believe it. You know. It was really bad.”
Gervasi asked: “So, what was your first reaction when the city started saying, you know, ‘you have to get these sandbags, that’s the best way to protect yourself?’”
“We thought they were crazy. Because we thought, ‘nah, it’s not going to happen, you know?’ There’s no way it’s going to happen,” Lozania said. “Now, we’re at least somewhat safe, you know, with all the sandbags and everything.”
“I was born and raised here, and I’ve never seen anything like this,” she added. “It was scary."
Community members can sign up for emergency alerts via phone — and pick up free sandbags outside the Coconino County Health and Human Services building on King St. and at the south parking lot of Coconino High School.
A Friday morning update on the flooding from Coconino County is available here.
