Shelter-in-place lifted for Flagstaff community due to flash flood warning
FLAGSTAFF, AZ (AZFamily) — Coconino County officials have lifted a shelter-in-place order for a community in Flagstaff after a round of monsoon weather hit several parts of the High Country.
County officials issued the order just after noon, asking residents and the public to seek higher ground immediately due to the strong potential for flash flooding.
About 2.5″ of rain fell in the area of Mt. Elden Estates in one hour.
At 1 p.m., more than 3,000 APS customers were without power in the Flagstaff area, but by 3 p.m., that number dwindled to less than 100. It was restored to most customers by 4 p.m. The shelter-in-place was also lifted before 4 p.m.
About 130 APS customers north of Williams don’t have power as of 4:30 p.m.
In Flagstaff, the neighborhood hit with the stay-indoors is no stranger to flooding as it was hit hard by post-Museum Fire flooding. Some homes still have sandbags around them.
Coconino County and the city have new flood mitigation work in place, being tested for the first time.
The county finished a sediment basin earlier this year near Grandview Drive in northeast Flagstaff, at the base of Mt. Elden, which helps debris and slows down flood waters.
Construction has taken over the neighborhood to prevent monsoon flooding but one mom has an optimistic view of the work.
“Well it looks like a war zone. Very ugly but we’re super excited for the construction. I have little boys and they love the construction vehicles. So we actually really enjoy the excavators. It doesn’t seem to be a lot of water, so we’re not concerned at this point. I think it takes to optimal conditions to get that huge amount of water all at one point,” said Laura Ball, who lives in the flood prevention construction zone.
Thunderstorm activity is expected again on Wednesday and Thursday for those in the higher elevations, and wet weather is still likely in the White Mountains for this upcoming weekend.
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