APACHE JUNCTION, Ariz. — Parts of Apache Junction are digging out from the mud left behind after Thursday's huge monsoon storm.
“It was really bad. It was crazy. Water everywhere,” Cheryl Reeves said under a mud-filled carport.
It’s not even her mobile home. She’s helping dig out the driveways of her neighbors while they’re away. Driveways that are buried under mud that’s…a little more than mud.
“Mud, dirt…manure,” she said.
It’s all debris washed downstream from the desert, roads and horse farms upstream from the trailer park on Tomahawk Road.
“As soon as it was clearing up, you just see this water coming in across the streets coming into the parking lot,” Kevin Stio said, leaning on a shovel. “Fifteen, 20 minutes after it started, you see the river.”
“I would hate to come home to find my house destroyed and have to find somebody else who was available to clean it up and didn't clean it up,” he said.
Apache Junction was hit with heavy rain Thursday, washing at least one motorist off the road and trapping her in her car.
Friday, crews were out with heavy equipment to dig out city streets that were buried under feet of mud.
The main wash that runs through town overflowed in many areas, and debris is still trapped in the guardrails of bridges.
Friday morning, the streets were still wet and muddy. Sky 12 saw a school bus that was stuck on the side of a dirt-filled road.
Other homeowners were repairing fences if they could even find the pieces. Many fences were torn out of the ground by the force of the water.
Flooding Safety:
The Arizona Fire & Medical Authority has provided the following tips on what hazards to watch out for during and after a flood, including fire, electrical and chemical safety:
Generators and alternative heating devices can create fire hazards during flooding if they aren’t used correctly or maintained properly. Pools of water and appliances can become electrically charged and can cause electrical fires.
On electricity, residents in flooded areas should turn off the power to their homes if they can reach the main breaker or fuse box. All wiring in the house may be electrically charged and hazardous. Residents should have a professional technician check their home for damages before turning on the power.
Make sure potentially combustible liquids like paint thinner, lighter fluid or gasoline haven’t spilled within or near your home. Keep combustible liquids away from electrical or alternative heat sources as to not start a fire.
All smoke alarms in the home should be tested monthly and batteries should be replaced yearly. Some smoke alarms are dependent on your home’s electrical service and may go out when power is turned off.
Make sure the fire hydrant near your home is cleared of debris so the fire department can assess it easily in the event of a fire.
Arizona Weather
Arizona has seen its fair share of severe weather. Here is a compilation of videos from various storms across the Grand Canyon state.