Monsoon rains and hail hit Prescott as Flagstaff prepares for further flooding | Arizona News

By Randall Perry On Jul 18, 2021

Flagstaff residents are using sandbags to protect their homes as more storms threaten the area

PRESCOTT / FLAGSTAFF, AZ (3TV / CBS 5) – The monsoons do not let up in the highlands. People in the Prescott and Prescott Valley areas saw heavy rain, strong winds, and even hail on Sunday. A viewer sent us a video of a strong storm lashing the Prescott Valley Home Depot parking lot.

Spectators in the Doney Park area, northeast of Flagstaff, posted videos and photos of hail in the area. Some of the hailstones were almost the size of a penny.

Hail in Doney Park

(Source: Jamie Galea)

With monsoon activity expected to pick up over the next week, residents in the Flagstaff area are preparing for more rain and possible flash floods.

A flash flood warning for Coconino County was in effect until 6.15 p.m. The National Weather Service in Flagstaff said a severe thunderstorm along I-40 from Ash Fork to Williams would create dangerous driving conditions with very heavy rain, pea-sized hail, and winds in excess of 40 mph.

Flagstaff already saw some severe flash floods near the burn scar from the museum fire last week. The museum fire scorched the area in 2019. The recent storms dropped several inches of rain on this scorch, and that rain resulted in severe road flooding. The crews had to block roads in several areas as fast-flowing floods were reported at a depth of almost one foot. Debris and mud also filled the streets.

One of the most shocking sights we saw last week was when a car was actually washed away on a Flagstaff street. In the video recorded by Taylor Landy, a road on the east side of Flagstaff turned into a river in Wednesday’s monsoon rains. “Oh my God!” Landy screams when she sees a wave of muddy water carrying a gold Toyota Prius down the road.

In Flagstaff, residents prepared for more monsoon rains this weekend and stacked sandbags around their properties. In addition to the sandbag efforts, the crews of the Coconino district have carried out site assessments for particularly endangered houses as well as for elderly and disabled people.

“Fortunately, the people at Coconino County’s flood control had the foresight to have a supply of sandbags. Seventy thousand went this summer, which was very helpful,” said Andy Bertelsen, director of public works for Flagstaff.

Coconino County officials say they began preparing for this type of monsoon activity years ago, and they say it made the current damage much less significant than it could have been. “We previously took significant flood control measures in both Flagstaff and Flagstaff,” said Lucinda Andreani, Coconino County’s deputy county manager.

Governor Ducey declares a state of emergency over floods in Coconino County

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey declared a state of emergency Friday morning in response to the flash flood in Coconino County. This declaration of emergency will allocate $ 200,000 to response efforts in the Flagstaff area.

3:55 PM MST – A severe thunderstorm along I-40 from Ash Fork to Williams creates dangerous driving conditions with very heavy rain, pea-sized hail and winds in excess of 40 mph. Slow down or decelerate when you are around! #azwx pic.twitter.com/m2aH8xhd4R

– NWS Flagstaff (@NWSFlagstaff) July 18, 2021