PHOENIX — North Phoenix was hit hard by Saturday night's thunderstorms. Floodwater quickly rose in spots, trapping drivers and causing significant damage.
In North Phoenix Saturday night streets, parking lots, and other roads turned into rivers.
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"This is wild," said one man.
"It was raining for 20 minutes maybe and it came out of nowhere," said another woman.
At a Safeway parking lot at 7th Street and Thunderbird, Braden Long, and his brother did what they could to keep cars from getting stuck from the rising water.
"Turn around and go another way," he said. "We're trying to tell people to not go through."
However, just a short distance north on 7th street, things turned scary for driver Austin Brown, who pulled over to get out of the rain. When he saw a Circle K, he drove under the awning to wait.
"It was scary," he said. "I mean, one second you think you're good, you're under something with light and next thing you know there's a car trapped underneath and I'm underneath it as well."
The heavy rain mixed with strong winds knocked down signs in the area and branches. It also caused the awning above the gas pumps to topple. Brown says it happened in an instant.
"The initial feeling was like an earthquake had hit," he said. "I didn't know the structure had fallen and I looked to the left and it was all white from the structure."
Brown was able to get out. However, looking at the damage, he's just thankful everyone was okay.
"Yeah," he said. "Shaken up for sure. I'm just glad Zane who was in the Subaru is okay and my girlfriend is okay and we can walk out of here in one piece."
Miraculously, a scratch to the roof was the only damage that Brown's car suffered.
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