Intense Rainfall Triggers Severe Flooding Across Northern Arizona
Northern Arizona is grappling with significant flooding after heavy rains swelled rivers and creeks throughout the region. Critical waterways such as Oak Creek, the Verde and Salt rivers, and the San Juan River have been heavily impacted, causing widespread concerns for residents and businesses alike.
In Sedona, emergency response teams were tasked with rescuing residents from inundated homes over the weekend. Meanwhile, tribal communities on the Hopi and Navajo reservations are still recovering from a previous storm in late October that also resulted in substantial damage, including washed-out roads and flooded homes.
The floodwaters have led to road closures in areas such as Flagstaff, Prescott, and parts of the Verde Valley. In a press release, the City of Flagstaff advised against travel on Sunday, citing that emergency services were fully engaged. Notably, the Rio de Flag stream surged with enough force to support kayaking through the town.
In Oak Creek Canyon, business owners are facing challenges due to the rising creek levels. The usually calm waterway has turned into a turbulent current, posing a threat to nearby establishments.
“It’s just this really dark brown churning river, and it’s moving really quickly,” stated Jenny Kittredge, manager of Forest Houses Resort. “It’s bringing a lot of trees and debris with it. We can hear trees as they crash against other trees.”
Kittredge reported that her property had not yet suffered damage from the rising waters, but noted that the creek was alarmingly close to the lowest structure on the property as of Sunday afternoon. “It was the highest I have ever seen it in my 33 years here,” she added.
Despite the risks, Forest Houses Resort does not carry flood insurance due to the prohibitive costs. The last time the creek reached such levels was in 1993, leading to severe damages in northern Arizona. The resort, located near the site of the Pocket Fire burn area, has faced economic setbacks due to the fire and subsequent flooding.
Kittredge expressed concerns about cancellations and the need to cancel reservations for safety reasons. “It definitely seems like this year it’s just sort of one thing after the other. Just as we were sort of getting back on our feet after the whole fire, it’s the flooding.”
The National Weather Service indicated that water levels in Oak Creek are expected to decrease starting Monday. However, the San Juan River in Shiprock, New Mexico, on the Navajo Nation, is anticipated to rise from Monday afternoon into Tuesday.
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