Heavy Rainfall Triggers Dangerous Flooding in Nogales Border Cities
Recent storms have brought deadly flooding to the interconnected border cities of Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Mexico, according to officials in Santa Cruz County. The heavy rains over the weekend resulted in a tragic situation with multiple casualties.
Undersheriff Gerardo Castillo of Santa Cruz County reported that search teams were mobilized last week after witnesses noticed a woman in the Nogales Wash, which crosses from Sonora into the United States.
A coordinated effort involving over 30 volunteers from fire departments, rescue squads, and other organizations took place over several days. This binational team successfully located three individuals who had perished in the floodwaters. While authorities from both Mexico and the U.S. are working to identify the victims, it is believed they originated from Mexico and were carried into the U.S. by the flood.
Castillo emphasized the shared vulnerability of the communities during such natural disasters. “We share the same wash and we share the same sewer system. And also, they [Nogales, Sonora] are in a higher elevation than we are,” he explained.
The search teams discovered a man’s body on Friday morning, but further search efforts were temporarily halted due to additional rain. The search resumed the next day, leading to the discovery of a woman’s body on Saturday morning, followed by a third, yet unidentified, body. All three bodies have been transferred to the Pima County Medical Examiner’s Office for further examination.
Efforts to identify the deceased continue in collaboration with the Mexican consulate, although no missing persons reports have yet been filed, according to Castillo.
—
Read More Arizona News
