PHOENIX — In 1980, a flood ripped through Arizona.
6,000 residents had to be evacuated. Approximately 600 homes to the west of Phoenix were damaged and many others were destroyed. The Salt River swelled its banks and practically cut the Valley in half.
It's one of the biggest events of its kind on record for the state, and impacted more people than any other flood in Arizona. In total, the floods caused about $80 million in damages, mostly to the Phoenix Metro and especially along the Salt River.
A total of six storms moved from the Pacific Ocean into southern California and Arizona over a period of about nine days, turning the month into the second wettest February on record in Arizona.
11 of the 13 bridges spanning the Salt River in the Valley were destroyed or damaged. Interstate 10 had to be temporarily shut down, leaving only the Mill Avenue Bridge open to motorists.
Enter the Hattie B. Named after Harriet Babbitt, U.S. ambassador and wife of then-Governor Bruce Babbitt, this short-lived passenger train was the saving grace for many of the Valley's residents.
With only five cars and two engines, the train managed to move 46,000 commuters across the Salt River during the two weeks it was in operation. The train ran Monday through Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and the ticket to ride was only $1.
It's no surprise that many long-term residents remember the train as a ray of sunshine in all that rain. After all, Phoenix had been getting drenched for months.
Daily rainfall quantities in Arizona weren't extraordinary, but the total volume of runoff far exceeded the available reservoir capacity.
The water flow in the Salt River usually averages 300 to 1,500 cubic feet per second (cfs). During the flooding, the peak discharge of the Salt River in Phoenix was 170,000 cfs. That was greater than any previous flow since 1905 — the wettest February on record.
Crown King, a small community to the northwest of Black Canyon City, got 16.63 inches of rainfall during that period, according to State Climatologist Erinanne Saffell.
For a city in the middle of the desert, Phoenix has a flooding problem. Here's a look at our past coverage of these events:
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ARIZONA WEATHER
Drought, wildfires, heat and monsoon storms: Arizona has seen its fair share of severe weather. Learn everything you need to know about the Grand Canyon State's ever-changing forecasts here.