Rushing water brought drivers to a halt along US 95 – News 11’s Arlette Yousif was among them
YUMA, Arizona (KYMA, KECY) – When flash floods hit the southwestern desert, they strike with a vengeance. Blocking off roads such as Highway 95 near the Yuma Proving Ground.
Dangerous driving conditions north of Yuma County swept a tanker truck off the wheels and onto its side on Sunday.
“Stay where you are and at some point the water will subside. The other option is to turn around and head back in the opposite direction and then take an appropriate detour,” says DPS Sgt. Jimmy Chavez.
Sgt. Chavez says that even inches of water can do a lot of damage.
While the tanker driver is not injured, not everyone survives the force of the water. Unfortunately, this applies to four-year-old Pima County’s flood victim Maci Reed, whose body was found around 7:30 a.m. Monday morning.
And another victim, 16-year-old Faith Moore, was swept away by the dangerous waters of the Verde Valley. Moore called for help as the water pulled her in. The search will last until Monday.
“Six inches of moving water can get an adult off their feet. 12 inches can move a small vehicle,” said Mike Erfert, public relations officer for the Yuma Fire Department.
Many people parked their cars on the street with the engine off. Yuma Local Ivan Corona was one of them.
“We were able to cross some of the car washes that ran across the street, so to speak. They were still low, but then we got to a bigger one and saw that quite a bit of water was coming through the car wash and there were cars lined up on both sides of this car wash, “says Ivan Corona, a local from Yuma.
I was also stuck on 95 when driving back to Yuma. People stood outside and even walked on the freeway. Finally we did it.
Sgt. Chavez says he wants to remind Arizonans that there is a law making drivers liable for emergency response in flood areas. ARS 28-910 means that anyone who tries to cross a blocked or flooded road and needs to be rescued can financially bear the cost of that rescue.
US Highway 95 has since reopened. However, as more rain has poured into the area, it is possible that it will happen again.
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