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Flagstaff emergency flooding alert thresholds adjusted

Sandbags barricade homes in a Flagstaff neighborhood
Melissa Sevigny
Sandbags barricade a house at the corner of Linda Vista and Grandview in Flagstaff

Flagstaff officials have adjusted the amount of monsoon rainfall that would trigger an emergency flooding alert on the city’s east side.

Under the plan, flood managers will begin to monitor drainages and water flows if the Museum Fire burn scar receives a half-inch in 15 minutes.

An alert will be issued for Mount Elden Estates at point-8 inches of rain in 15 minutes, and a broader alert will be sent to Mount Elden Estates, Paradise, Grandview and Sunnyside at 1.2 inches in 15 minutes.

At the highest threshold, a siren system will also be activated. Officials say the changes were made based on flood mitigation work, observations from previous floods and the limited recovery of the watershed.

The 2019 Museum Fire burned almost 2,000 acres in the Dry Lake Hills north of Flagstaff, causing severe flooding throughout several Flagstaff neighborhoods in 2021.