Communities across northern Arizona are grappling with the aftermath of widespread flooding after heavy rain prompted evacuations and emergency rescues Sunday.
In Sedona, rising water along Oak Creek trapped people in their homes with some evacuated from their rooftops by helicopter.
Officials also issued evacuation orders for parts of Camp Verde, Cottonwood, Tonto Creek, Winslow and other communities near swollen rivers and creeks.
In Flagstaff, nearly nonstop rain overwhelmed storm drains and flooded roads. Police continue to search for a man who fell into fast-moving floodwaters and didn’t resurface on the city’s southside.
Rain is expected to move out of the region Monday , but the National Weather Service warns that flooding is still a concern as rivers and creeks continue to run high.
The rainfall caused the water level in Oak Creek to rise from about 3 feet to 18 feet and forced more than 100 homes in Sedona to evacuate.
According to the National Weather Service, the flow of water through Oak Creek reached about 20,000 cubic feet per second on Sunday evening.
That’s a higher flow of water than is typically released from Glen Canyon Dam and into the Colorado River which usually tops out at just 8,000 cubic feet per second. And it’s much higher than the 200 cubic feet per second that is more typical in Oak Creek.
Coconino emergency management director Tim Carter said local officials will only be able to understand the extent of the damage as areas begin to drain.
“The one word that keeps coming through is unprecedented,” Carter said. “Some folks have said they've been working in their positions and their areas for 20, 25 years, and I've never seen flooding like this before.”
Once they understand the full impact, he said the county may move forward with a local emergency declaration.
Carter said it may take some time for roads to drain and asked the public for patience.
The City of Flagstaff administrative buildings and non-essential facilities are closed Monday, and residents were asked to avoid traveling if feasible.
Schools in Camp Verde, Sedona and Oak Creek, Show Low and Window Rock canceled classes Monday while schools in Flagstaff and some other communities delayed operations by two hours.
Officials say the delay gives more time for roads to improve and for students, families and staff to travel safely.
In Prescott, city officials say heavy rainfall swelled Watson Lake and overtopped Granite Dam.
Crews in Prescott had opened several outlets from the lake ahead of the storm to make way for stormwater.
Officials say personnel are closely monitoring the lake and the dam which is built to withstand as much as 10 feet of water flowing over it.
The American Red Cross opened shelters in Sedona, Show Low, Camp Verde, Prescott and Payson.
Yavapai County officials issued Go evacuation orders for Rim Rock, Camp Verde and Clarkdale Sunday.
In Navajo County, Winslow officials evacuated residents of the Ames and Bushman Acres neighborhoods along the Little Colorado River.
And the White Mountain Apache Tribe evacuated communities along Cibecue Creek and residents living along the river in Cedar Creek, East Fork and along River Road. Other residents were told to shelter in place.
Evacuation shelters were established at the Cibecue Elementary School, the Blue Ridge High School in Pinetope-Lakeside and at Show Low’s City Campus Gym.
In addition to Flagstaff, Coconino County saw flooding impact Munds Park, Kachina Village and communities across tribal lands.
Storms also knocked out power to thousands APS customers in Williams and Bellemont Sunday afternoon.
Carter noted residents should never drive through flooded roadways.
Public safety teams rescued the occupants of at least one vehicle stuck in flood waters in Munds Park yesterday.
Even so, Carter said clearing roads ahead of Tuesday's Election Day is a priority.
“We know where the polling places are and we’re focusing heavily to make sure we can provide the voters access to those polling places,” Carter said. “Really ensuring that there's as little to minimal interruption to the election process as possible.”
