Homeless in Arizona

Monday, Sept 8 - Rain finally comes

  The torrential rain they had been predicting finally came.

I was hoping the weather forcasters were on drugs and made the whole thing up. But in my mind I suspect the storm was a slow moving storm that took longer to get here then they expected. Actually it's not a store, but the remains of a hurricane.

I woke up at about 2 a.m. when it started raining. I slept until about 2:30 a.m. when the rain became really heavy.

I got totally soaked!!!! There was heavy flooding everywhere.

Despite being soaked I didn't freeze to death. It's still rather warm here. I think the high for today is predicted to be only in the 90's which is on the low side for this time of year in Phoenix.

I walked thru some desert washes and city streets that had turned into rivers. And the current was very strong in all of them. I almost lost my footing once and nearly fell in

I went to a gas station and hung out there for maybe an hour.

I left when some cops show up. I was afraid they would harass me so I left. It's kind of sad when you are more afraid of the police then you are of the lightning.

The people at the gas station know me because I buy stuff almost every day. So I didn't figure they would complain about me to the cops. But I figured the cops might just terrorize me because cops love terrorizing people.

I heard it rained 3 inches at Sky Harbor Airport on the news. They said the old record was 2.2 inches. I was told it rained 5 inches in Chandler. And Alma School Road was like a river. The article in the Arizona Republic said it rained 2 inches at Sky Harbor, which conflices with what I heard on the news. The Republic article did say the 2 inches was a record.

If your from the East Coast that may not sound like much but in Phoenix we only get 7 inches of rain a year. In the West Valley we get about 5 inches. The East Valley gets about 10 inches with the average being 7 inches at Sky Harbor Airport in central Phoenix.

Here are some articles on the storm.


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Monsoon rain makes Monday morning commute a mess

The Republic | azcentral.com 8:27 a.m. MST September 8, 2014

A massive storm drenched the Valley with record rainfall early Monday morning, turning freeways to lakes and forcing the closure of highways, streets and schools throughout the region.

Widespread flood warnings were extended until at least 10:30 a.m. and as day broke the flood fears were prompted by almost relentless rainfall, the dangers posed by run-off water if the rain does abate, and a forecast calling for wet weather for another day.

More than 2 inches of rain was recorded at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, a record. Elsewhere, rainfall totals were measured as high as nearly 5 inches. Unlike typical monsoon storms, there were not isolated pockets of heavy rain, but huge and sustained downpours Valleywide. Channel 12 meteorologist James Quinones said already the region was coping with the biggest flood in 44 years.

And more than 10,000 APS customers throughout the Valley were without power at about 6:45 a.m. Monday, according to the utility.

The Maricopa County Flood Control District advised people to avoid driving Monday morning, or to delay commuting to work.

With good reason.

There were scattered accounts of high water rescues in the area.

The most dramatic scenes of the morning were from Interstate 10 near 43rd avenue. There, rising waters stranding dozens of vehicles in a massive hood-high flood, which forced drivers to abandon their cars and wade to higher ground. I-10 was closed and state transportation officials expected no improvement before lunchtime.

Arizona Department of Transportation officials began closing a series of freeways throughout the region after 4 a.m. Monday as water made the roads impassable.

Other closures included U.S. 60 in Mesa at Val Vista, U.S. 60 in Tempe at Priest Drive and U.S. 60 in the West Valley, where it is also known as Grand Avenue, between 51st and 59th avenues, according to ADOT.

Transportation officials also closed Interstate 17 at Indian School Road after 5 a.m. Monday.

More than two dozen schools, including the Maricopa Community College District, delayed or canceled classes Monday morning.

Thousands of homes were expected to be without power until mid-morning, according to an estimate from SRP.

The utility said more than 2,500 customers in south Phoenix and the southwest Valley were without power and crews were not expected to restore electricity the homes until about 11 a.m. Nearly 4,000 SRP customers without power in the southeast Valley were also expected to be without power until between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. Monday, according to the utility.

Cars strandad from flooded roads on the freeways

Phoenix police also said a series of roads in south Phoenix were closed Monday morning, including Dobbins Road from 15th to 27th avenues; 40th Street between Broadway and Vineyard roads; and Baseline Road between 24th and 48th streets.

Officers also urged motorists to use caution on I-10 in the West Valley and on McDowell and Indian School roads between 91st and 43rd avenues.

The Maricopa County Flood Control District recorded more than 3 inches of rain since midnight at several of its rain gauges, and the widespread damage from Monday morning's storm is unique - even in an active monsoon. Flooding

"Occasionally we'll get a storm that really dumps on the west end of U.S. 60, or the central part, but not to this extent over the whole urban area," said Steve Waters, a flood warning branch manager with the flood control district.

"There is still rain coming from the southwest," Waters said early Monday morning. "We're going to be in this for the better part of the day."

The storms prompted firefighters and paramedics to rescue a handful of stranded motorists early Monday morning, including a man who became trapped in his car about 3:15 a.m. near 77th Street and Roosevelt, according to a public-safety spokesman.

More than two-dozen firefighters from Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe and Chandler worked to rescue the man who was trapped in about three feet of running water, with about a foot of water inside of his car, said Scottsdale Fire Battalion Chief Rod Thompson.

A Tempe police spokesman also reported about 6:15 a.m. Monday that a roof collapsed at a supermarket near Baseline Road and McClintock Drive, though no one was injured in the incident.


I think the current storm we are having this morning is from this hurricane which is coming up from Mexico:


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Hurricane drenches Mexico; may help U.S. Southwest

Associated Press 1:53 p.m. MST September 6, 2014

LOS CABOS, Mexico — Rains and high surf brought by powerful Hurricane Norbert damaged more than 1,000 homes and forced thousands of people to seek higher ground as the storm roared northward Saturday off the coast of Mexico's Baja California peninsula.

Norbert strengthened to a powerful Category 3 storm with winds of up to 115 mph (185 kph) but was staying away from land. It was near enough the coast, though, to drench fishing villages and resorts and pound beaches.

High surf and waves broke a contention wall and flooded the fishing village of Puerto de San Carlos, said Venustiano Perez, mayor of the municipality of Comondu which encompasses the village and is located about 300 miles (500 kilometers) north of the tip of the peninsula.

Perez said that 1,250 houses were damaged and that some of the 2,500 people affected were evacuated to a shelter.

Baja California Sur state Gov. Marcos Covarrubias urged people in vulnerable areas to evacuate and said travelers should stay off highways as the storm passed by. He said most government services would be closed or restricted, and schools in Los Cabos and La Paz were closed on Friday.

By Saturday morning, at least 2,000 people had been evacuated from Los Cabos, La Paz and Comondu, said the state government's civil protection director Carlos Rincon.

At least 1,000 people were in shelters Friday evening in Los Cabos, where the storm toppled trees and knocked out electricity in parts of the resort area. Firefighters rescued several people from vehicles stranded in flooded streets, said Wenceslao Pettit, Public Safety director in Cabo San Lucas.

Ports in the area popular with U.S. tourists remained closed to navigation and police officers were sent to the evacuated neighborhoods to prevent looting, Pettit added.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Saturday afternoon that Norbert was centered about 145 miles (230 kilometers) west of sparsely populated Cabo San Lazaro.

Forecasters said Norbert, which had reached hurricane strength Wednesday, was headed northwest at 8 mph (13 kph).

The Hurricane Center said Norbert was helping push moisture from the remnants of Tropical Storm Dolly across northern Mexico and into the southwestern United States, bringing possible heavy rains in coming days to areas plagued by drought.


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Storm slams Tempe, closing streets with flooding, outages

Dianna M. Náñez, The Republic | azcentral.com 9:14 a.m. MST September 8, 2014

In Tempe, a street light at Mill and Southern avenues sparked on fire, schools are urging parents to keep their students home and intersections across the city are closed due to rainfall, flooding and power outages.

Amidst a widespread Valley storm that has shattered rainfall records, the Tempe Police Department has turned to social media to urge caution, report street closures and post photos of dangerous street conditions. Police photos showed pedestrians and cars slogging through flooded streets.

Tempe schools issued a warning early this morning.

"Tempe Union High Schools are open today, however we encourage parents to keep their students home, or delay arrival to school until weather clears," read the notice.

Tempe has told non-essential city employees to delay going to work until the roads are clear.

Tempe city officials also are updating a growing list of street closures at: http://www.tempe.gov/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/22693/633.

Rural and Warner: signal lights out
Rural and South Shore: flooded/restricted
Broadway and Dorsey: flooded/closed
Baseline and 48th Street: flooded/closed
Hardy and Southern: closed
Bus operations are heavily delayed and several routes are on detour. Routes affected include 45, 56, 96, Flash, Mars, Earth, Jupiter, 520, and 522.

Light rail continues to operate.

Sand bags are available at Fire Station 43, 4110 E. Chandler Blvd., and at Tempe Public Works, at the northeastern corner Priest Road and Rio Salado Parkway.


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Schools closed, delayed following Valley floods

Mary Beth Faller, The Republic | azcentral.com 9:05 a.m. MST September 8, 2014

School administrators throughout the Valley canceled and delayed classes as a result of the massive storm that moved through the area early Monday.

Grand Canyon University and Benedictine University in Mesa area closed, and all Maricopa Community Colleges are closed until at least noon.

Many districts that opened schools urged parents not to bring students if safety was an issue, and that late arrivals or absences would be excused with a note from parents.

Administrators were assessing damage throughout the morning.

Water leaked into the main district office of the Scottsdale Unified School District, near 44th Street and Indian School Road in Phoenix. Scottsdale spokeswoman Kristine Harrington said that while the district schools were open, Cherokee Elementary School is without power. District schools otherwise were open.

Some schools that are open have limited bus service, include the Cave Creek Unified District, which reported that buses cannot cross north of Cave Creek Road because of flooding. Other districts that were open saw flooding cause massive school bus delays or cancellations.

Schools that are closed include:

All Saints Episcopal Day School

Arizona Agribusiness and Equine charter school campuses

Arizona School for the Arts

Buckeye Elementary School District

Buckeye Union High School District

Cartwright School District

Creighton School District

Christ Church School

Cicero charter schools

Dysart schools

Eagle College prep

Fowler Elementary School District

George Gervin prep academy

Glendale Elementary

Glendale Union High School District

Great Hearts Academy, Chandler

Imagine charter schools

Laveen Elementary School District- attendance optional

Leading Edge Academy Queen Creek

Litchfield Elementary

Littleton Elementary

Maryvale Elementary

Paradise Honors High School and Elementary Schools

Pendergast Elementary School District

Phoenix Country Day School

Phoenix Elementary School District

Roosevelt Elementary School District

St. John Bosco Catholic School

Tolleson Elementary

Tempe Union High School District- optional to attend or delay

Valley Lutheran High School

Victory High School

Villa Montessori

Washington Elementary


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Storm Around Phoenix Causing Power Outages, Traffic Nightmares

By Matthew Hendley Mon., Sep. 8 2014 at 7:37 AM

Welcome to Phoenix, where a few inches of rain have pretty much turned the city into Atlantis.

Rainfall records are on pace to be broken, schools have canceled classes, power outages are being reported, and cars are floating in the middle of the interstate.

According to the National Weather Service, this is one of the wettest days ever recorded in Phoenix. As of 7 a.m., 2.83 inches of rain had been recorded at Sky Harbor airport. The one-day record is 2.91 inches, set in 1939.

APS is reporting that 10,000 people are without power.

Between crashes and flooding, it's going to be hard to get anywhere around Phoenix today.

The Arizona Department of Transportation is reporting flooding on U.S. 60 in both directions at State Route 87, a crash has been reported on Loop 202 at Scottsdale Road affecting traffic in both directions, and there are cars underwater on Interstate 10 around 43rd Avenue.

The latest Phoenix street closures can be found on the Street Transportation Department's Twitter feed, and on Twitter feeds of transportation departments in other cities.

It's chaos out there.


Wow this little storm is getting some national coverage. Here is an article from the San Jose Mercury news on our floods.

I also saw an article in the Washington Post on the Phoenix flooding, but I didn't include it here.


Source

Phoenix flooding: Rain sets all-time record for single day

By Paul Davenport

Associated Press

Posted: 09/08/2014 09:44:04 AM PDT

PHOENIX (AP) -- Heavy storms pounded the Phoenix area early Monday, flooding major freeways and small roads, leading to several water rescues and setting an all-time record for rainfall in the city in a single day.

A flash flood warning was issued for most of the Phoenix area and its outskirts through late Monday morning because of heavy thunderstorms and showers. Flash flood watches covered most of the rest of Arizona.

Sections of the major freeways Interstate 10 and 17 in west Phoenix were closed during the morning commute, and a state Department of Public Safety officer used the roof of his SUV to carry three stranded motorists out of a flooded area of I-10.

"It's dangerous to get tow trucks out there," DPS spokesman Bart Graves said.

The National Weather Service recorded 2.99 inches of rain by about 7 a.m., breaking the old record of 2.91 inches set in 1933. The morning rainfall also eclipsed Phoenix's average total rainfall of 2.71 inches for Phoenix's entire summer rainy season.

On Interstate 10 on both sides of the 43rd Avenue overpass in west Phoenix, television video of I-10 showed at least a half-dozen vehicles sitting in water up to their hoods, while dozens of other motorists parked part way up on the freeway's side embankment to stay clear of the water.

That stretch of freeway was one of several that resembled small lakes as the Arizona Department of Transportation said its pumping stations couldn't keep up with the downfall.

Johnjay Van Es of the syndicated radio show Johnjay & Rich was among the drivers who got stranded in the floodwaters. Van Es told The Associated Press Monday that he didn't see the water in a dark intersection near his office around 4 a.m. until it was too late.

"I just coasted into the flood," he said.

Van Es was stranded for two hours and did part of his radio show from his car. He was able to crawl from an open window of his swamped BMW into the waiting truck of co-host Rich Berra.

DPS officers initially closed all lanes of I-10 except for one in each direction at 43rd Avenue, but ultimately had to completely shut down the freeway, Graves said.

"It was pitch-black and the storm system was moving in pretty heavily," the spokesman said.

The motorists who parked on the embankments "were lucky," Graves said. "They were safe in doing so."

Part of a grocery store's roof collapsed in Tempe because of the rain, but none of the people inside was injured, police Lt. Mike Pooley said.

Numerous street closures were reported in cities across the metro area, and the Phoenix Fire Department was performing several water rescues. In Scottsdale, 25 firefighters helped free a man trapped in his car by 3 feet of running water. There were no immediate reports of any injuries.

Scattered electricity outages are reported in the metro area with over 10,000 customers losing power.

Numerous school systems and colleges either closed schools, delayed openings or advised parents that buses were running late.

---

AP writer Alina Hartounian contributed to this report.


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Avoid these Valley areas due to flooding, street closures

Matthew Casey, The Republic | azcentral.com 12:16 p.m. MST September 8, 2014

About three inches of rain has fallen over the Valley in less than 12 hours, according to the

National Weather Service in Phoenix. Here are some areas to avoid due to flooding and road closures, including an area of Interstate 10 near 43rd Avenue where officials cleaning abandoned vehicles off the mud-caked road expected closures to remain in place through early afternoon:

Phoenix:

Lower Buckeye Road from 35th to 75th avenues
Dobbins Road between Seventh and 35th avenues
40th Street between Broadway and Vineyard roads
Baseline Road between 24th and 48th Streets
35th Avenue between Baseline and Dobbins roads
Baseline Road from Central Avenue to 48th Street
South Pointe Parkway to 48th Street
102nd and Campbell avenues
Durango Street between 27th and 35th avenues
Seventh Avenue and Coral Gables Drive
48th Avenue and Oraibi Drive
19th Avenue from Van Buren Street to Grand Avenue
48th Street and Baseline Road
54th Street and Camelback Road
43rd Avenue and Camelback
Grand Avenue from 51st to 59th avenues
Grand Avenue from 17th to 19th avenues
48th Street and Warner Road
Tatum Boulevard from Loop 101 to Jomax Road
Tempe:
Traffic signals are out Rural and Warner roads
Rural Road and South Shore Drive are restricted due to flooding
Broadway Road and Dorsey Lane are close due to flooding
Baseline and 48th Street flooded/closed
Hardy Road and Southern Avenue are closed
Buses are heavily delayed and there are several routes on detour. Routes affected include 45, 56, 96, Flash, Mars, Earth, Jupiter, 520, and 522.
Scottsdale:
All unbridged crossings at the Indian Bend Wash are closed. Avoid all wash areas.
Westbound Camelback Road is closed at 82nd Street.
McKellips Road is closed between Hayden and Miller roads.
Scottsdale Road is now open south of McDonald Drive.
McCormick Parkway is closed east of Scottsdale Road.
Hayden Road is closed between Camelback and Chaparral Boulevard along with the intersection at Hayden and Chaparral.
There are reports of trees in the roadway on Scottsdale Road north of Shea Boulevard.
Eastbound McDonald Drive is completely blocked at Hayden.
Westbound McDonald is also blocked at 82nd Street.
Thomas Road is closed westbound at Pima Road.
Scottsdale Road at Chaparral is closed
Scottsdale Road is closed at Pinnacle Vista (located just north of Jomax Road
) Lights are out at Indian School Road and 68th Street. Officers are directing traffic.
Peoria:

Bus service is delayed, but light-rail service is operating on time.

Several homes flooded near 83rd Avenue and Edwards Street
Flooding is causing problems with the railroad crossing near Cotton Crossing and Grand Avenue
Flooding and mud is coming off the mountain near 83rd Avenue and Happy Valley Road. 67th and 86th avenues are flooded at Happy Valley Road, too.
There is flooding at Vistancia Boulevard and El Mirage Road
The area near 75th Avenue and Jomax Road is flooded.
Flooding caused manhole covers to come off between 77th and 91st avenues
Flooding at 75th Avenue and Cactus Road
Flooding in the area near 83rd Avenue and Pinnacle Peak Road
Flooding in the area near 107th Avenue and Union Hills Drive
Flooding near 7400 West Brown Street
Surprise:
Flooding on Waddell Road from 175th Avenue to Cotton Lane
Flooding near Sarival Avenue and Cactus Road
Flooded barricades near Cactus and Reems roads
Flooding near Peoria Avenue and Cotton Lane
Flooding near Cactus Road and Cotton Lane
Flooding near Greenway and Reems roads
Greenway Road is closed from Litchfield Road
Flooding near Paradise Lane and El Mirage Road
163rd Avenue and Asanta Boulevard is closed
163rd Avenue and Peak View Road is closed
158th Avenue and Dale lane is closed
Dale Lane and 158th Avenue closed
219th Avenue and Sun Valley between power lines and Williams Road closed
175th Avenue and Dale Lane closed
187th Avenue and Happy Valley closed
153rd Avenue and Dale Lane closed
Pinnacle Peak Parkway is closed west of Citrus Road
Grand Avenue and Greenway Road is closed
Sarival Road is closed to Loop 303
Peoria Avenue and Waddell Road is closed
Auto Show Road is closed
Litchfield Road is closed from Bell Road to Greenway Road
Bell Road is flooded between Litchfield Road and Sunrise Boulevard
Goodyear:

Places to get sandbags, residents must bring their own shovels: the Goodyear Community Park near Avalon Drive and Litchfield Road and the Goodyear Dog Park located south of Maricopa 85 on Estrella Parkway

Street closures:

Citrus Road from Van Buren Street to Interstate 10
Sarival Road from Indian School to Camelback roads
Willis Road from Rainbow Valley Road to Estrella Parkway
McDowell Road from Citrus Roiad to Cotton Lane
Perryville and McDowell roads
West Charles Boulevard and 158th Avenue
Yuma Road and 181st Ave
Harrison and Citrus Road
Narramore Road near Buckeye Road
Avondale:

Sandbags are available at public works, but residents must fill them themselves. For more information, call 623-333-4700.

The Zoom transit bus is suspended due to flooding.
Athletic fields are flooded and field rentals for Monday are canceled
Avondale Boulevard is closed northbound from Van Buren to Roosevelt streets
Lower Buckeye Road is closed between 4th Street and 127th Avenue
Lane restrictions at 107th Avenue and McDowell Road.


Pumping stations failed at some freeway stations

Nothing fails like government!!!!!

Our government masters tell us they are here to protect us from bad things, but they failed miserably to protect us from the flooding that occurred in yesterdays monster storm.

I am referring specifically to all the freeway water pumps that failed to turn on.

Of course our government masters will tell us all these problems will be fixed and everything will work perfectly NEXT time, just like they did last time.

Source

Pumping stations failed at some freeway stations

Sean Holstege, Caitlin McGlade and Edward Gately, The Republic | azcentral.com 12:27 a.m. MST September 9, 2014

There were stories of success and failure among the man-made systems created to manage a heavy rain across the Valley Monday.

In a Valley unaccustomed to the rain, the historic late-summer deluge of 2014 tested pieces of the public-works infrastructure — and pushed some of them beyond their limits, as pumps failed, freeways and city streets disappeared beneath rising water and some motorists headed into the mouth of the flooding unaware.

Those stretches of freeway flooded because pumping stations designed to keep them dry failed at key locations, including along Interstate 10 in west Phoenix, according to early indications from the Arizona Department of Transportation. That left dozens of morning motorists stranded in deep water.

"If there was flooding, we likely faced some kind of challenge at the pump station," ADOT spokesman Doug Nintzel said. Some older pumps failed to kick in, while others automatically switched off, he said. Both had to be started by hand.

Other parts of the Valley saw stories of success and failure Monday as man-made systems managed heavy rain and runoff.

In Mesa, neighborhoods on the north edge of U.S. 60 flooded late in the day as retention basins overflowed. The basins normally hold runoff in conjunction with nearby Arizona Department of Transportation canals along U.S. 60. But both the basins and the canals filled Monday, leaving extra water with nowhere to go. It backed up into a neighborhood off Harris Drive and Harmony Avenue. Mesa officials said it could take two weeks to a month to drain the water, and urged residents to evacuate.

The rain deluge had such a strong impact on Phoenix, city officials may be rethinking their standards for flood planning.

But Scottsdale officials had reason to cheer: the11-mile Indian Bend Wash flood control project did its job.

Pumping stations failed at some freeway stations Floods have deadly, damaging history in Ariz.

The Valley's freeway loop system, the newest freeways, also fared well during Monday's soaker. There was water on the roads, but none of the widespread flooding experienced on older highways.

Most of the freeway network's 71 pumping stations are designed with three to five individual engines, which are triggered by in-ground sensors. Those sensors act like a float in a toilet tank: When the water rises to a certain level, the pumps kick in.

Except on Monday at 1-10 near 43rd Avenue, site of the most dramatic flooding.

"The pumps were not turning on automatically," Nintzel said, and it wasn't until 7 a.m., four hours into the downpour, that "troubleshooters manually turned on the engines."

Elsewhere, pumps did kick on but couldn't keep up with the volumes of rain and run-off water. Some engines in some pump houses automatically switched off to avoid burning out, Nintzel said.

On State Route 51 near Cactus Boulevard, two of the five engines cut out. The station couldn't keep up with the deluge at 60 percent capacity, and the highway was under water by the time crews manually restored full pumping. Farther south near Highland Avenue, one of the five pumps shut off. It was the same story at the Kyrene pumping station, where two of the three engines shut off.

"This gets into the challenges you have with an aging infrastructure," Nintzel said, adding that ADOT crews maintain the stations year round, and step up inspections right before the monsoon.

Generally speaking, he said, the older the freeway, the older the pumps, and the more maintenance they need. On Interstate 17, one of the oldest stretches of interstate in the country, a pump station is 50 years old, and the engines have to be removed and repaired by specialists in such models.

But there may have also been more underlying issues.

ADOT's "Highway Drainage Design Manual," published in 2007, says freeway design should handle the amount of water generated by a 100-year flood. A 100-year flood means one that has a 1 percent chance of occurring in any given year, on average. But it states that pumps at "depressed freeways," such as the underpasses that were inundated Monday, should only accommodate a 50-year storm, one that is twice as likely. ADOT designed the pumps to the looser 50-year standard in such locations, Nintzel said.

Parts of the Valley saw record rainfall, but until final storm totals are in, it remains unclear if the storm topped the 50-year mark.

Valley cities, some with higher standards, appeared to fare better, even though street flooding was widespread.

If Monday was a test, Scottsdale's Indian Bend Wash didn't break. The 11-mile wash, completed in 1984 as a flood control project, "worked exactly as it was designed to work," said city spokesman Mike Phillips.

The greenbelt stretches north from Paradise Valley down south to the Salt River in Tempe. The wash carried as much as 6,000 cubic feet per second, about one-fifth of what it was designed to handle, city officials said. Once the rain stopped, the wash played a major role is draining city streets and neighborhoods within the Indian Bend Wash watershed, said Ashley Couch, the city's storm water manager and floodplain administer.

In Phoenix, the standard to withstand 100-year floods may not be good enough to clear low-lying roads in Laveen and in northern Phoenix and along the Salt River, said Ray Dovalina, street transportation director.

He said Phoenix will work with the Flood Control District of Maricopa County and other agencies to assess whether plans for future infrastructure improvements need to be updated to address higher demand.

Councilwoman Kate Gallego says the city's needs exceeds available funding. "We'll have to have conversations about how much risk we're willing to take,'' she said. "We need to look hard at what we can do and assume what used to be an extreme event is not an extreme event anymore."

Phoennix installed a $20 million conveyance channel in Laveen in the 2000s to help catch the rain that dumps into the area from South Mountain and funnel it to the Salt River. But the area remains on high priority for future flood-control infrastructure improvements.

Connie Cone Sexton, Maria Polletta and Megan Finnerty contributed to this report.


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22 numbers that put Arizona's huge storm in perspective

Kylie Gad, Jennifer Soules and Randy Cordova, The Republic | azcentral.com 8:50 p.m. MST September 8, 2014

But here are some specifics to put it in perspective.

2.29: How much in inches rainfall had totaled for 2014, before Monday.

3.29: Monday's official rainfall total in inches at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

2.91: Previous one-day rainfall record, in inches, from 1933.

85: Number of years since 1896 in which the Valley's entire monsoon rainfall (June-September) would have been outpaced by the single day of Monday's rain total.

10,000: Number of APS customers who lost power early Monday.

6,500: Number of SRP customers who lost power early Monday.

5: Major freeway closures (Interstate 10 near 43rd Avenue, U.S. 60 at Val Vista Drive, U.S. 60 at Priest Drive, Grand Avenue between 51st and 59 avenues, and Interstate 17 at Indian School Road).

2: Mudslides (Loop 202 at Price Road, State Route 51 at Shea Boulevard).

23: Valley school districts that closed schools Monday.

61,033: Average 2013 Cardinals home-game attendance, so assuming an average of three people per car, more than 20,000 cars would be on the roads heading to the University of Phoenix Stadium for Monday night's game.

CITY COMPARISON

Average September rainfall in inches.

CITY COMPARISON — average September rainfall

Phoenix: 0.64 inches.

Seattle: 1.65 inches.

New Orleans: 5.83 inches.

Miami: 9.86 inches.

Sources: National Weather Service, Arizona Department of Transportation, Arizona Department of Education.

HOW MUCH WATER?

Assuming a Valley-wide rainfall of 3.29 inches (some areas had more, some had less), the volume of water that fell on the Valley on Monday would be the equivalent of:

- More than 419 billion 20-ounce bottles of Aquafina.

- More than $210 billion in gasoline.

- Nearly 132 billion 7-Eleven Double Gulps.

- 187,356,561 dunk tanks from AZ Bounce Pro rentals.

- Enough water to fill almost 99,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

And the weight of that water would equal:

- Approximately 563,808 fully loaded Boeing 747s.

- About 96,131,798 Ford F150 6.2L Super Cabs.

- More than 5,227 of the RMS Titanic.


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Storm swamps Phoenix: Mesa flooding a 'slow-moving disaster'

The Republic | azcentral.com 12:42 a.m. MST September 9, 2014

Valley emergency crews, workers and homeowners toiled on Monday to reopen roads and mop up the effects of the morning's record-breaking storm — a fallout that orphaned vehicles on Valley freeways, crippled businesses, flooded up to 200 homes and prompted more than a dozen water rescues.

Monday's rainfall levels shattered the previous one-day, calendar-day record of 2.9 inches, set on Sept. 4, 1939, according to the National Weather Service. It also topped the previous Sept. 8 record of 1.33 inches set in 1933. [Sky Harbor Airport got 3.29 inches, Chandler got 5+ inches, Phoenix at Baseline & I-10 got 5+ inches]

The day holds a second-place position for highest 24-hour period of rainfall, set at 4.98 inches on July 2, 1911.

While most of the heavy rain had passed by late afternoon, flooding continued to threaten some areas of the Valley.

Flooding affected up to 200 homes in Mesa on Monday. A troubled Mayor Alex Finter said in the evening that Mesa was "planning for this to be a week-long, two-week or one-month event," calling the flooding a "slow-moving disaster."

Water had begun rushing into neighborhoods from Harris to Stapley drives and from Southern Avenue to the U.S. 60 on Monday afternoon after retention basins and canals overflowed.

Usually, if a retention basin gets too full, Mesa can turn to nearby Arizona Department of Transportation canals, and vice versa. This time, every part of the area's system was at or over capacity.

"The system is designed to hold a massive amount of water, and we got it – and more," Finter said. "All day, we've been watching this large volume of water move through the city, and it finally hit a stopping point at Stapley and the freeway (U.S. 60.) This is the worst I've ever seen, and I've been in the community since the '60s."

The city had pumps standing ready in neighborhoods through much of the day, waiting for parts of the water-retention system to regain capacity so flood water could be removed. Late Monday evening, the city still hadn't been able to fire up the pumps but expected to do so overnight.

Finter said ADOT and Mesa personnel were working together, using backhoes to rip out gates to allow water to move more freely. Mesa police announced shortly after 8 p.m. that Salt River Project would need to shut off electric power to the affected area in order to examine transformers.

Families said they were told SRP would shut off the power for the night so crews could restore some damaged transformers.

Only nearby Keller Elementary School was officially evacuated. However, residents of affected neighborhoods were encouraged to leave and stay with relatives or go to the city's temporary shelter at the Broadway Recreation Center, at 59 E. Broadway.

As of 7 p.m., hardly anyone had taken advantage of the offer.

"Residents are standing in front of their homes almost in shock," Finter said. "I don't think it has quite sunk in what's happening and the effects. There's some reluctance to leave their homes. They don't want anything stolen."

Late Monday evening, the city was providing a shuttle service for residents with flooded homes. Officials also said police had been called to work overtime watching people's houses to put residents at ease.

In the meantime, Finter was making calls to U.S. Congressman Matt Salmon, who he said would be contacting the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Tuesday and Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Chucri to ask for the county's help with mosquito control.

The city also worked to mobilize volunteers, primarily from faith-based communities, to help make arrangements for dumpsters and other resources.

"We have 100 to 200 homes that are flooded or have water damage, and no one anticipated needing flood insurance," Finter said. "We realize that this is going to be a situation that won't go away overnight."

Karri Allen, 48, was among the residents who decided to leave their homes Monday evening. She carried a pair of bags and walked a couple blocks to have her daughter pick her up. Allen said she was leaving because she had to be at work Tuesday morning and couldn't get her car out of the garage.

Allen said she felt lucky — the water came just up to her house.

"For me, it's all nerve wracking because I have a little bit of fear about water and floods," she said.

The church's sanctuary flooded with several feet of water. To help, go to.

Patti Benard, 63, also opted to flee for the night and stay with her daughter a few blocks away. Benard said the school buses created giant waves as they drove down the street, which is how water got into her home and soaked her carpet.

"Nothing like this has ever happened," the 30-year resident said. "The sad part is you can't take anything but what you can put on your back right now."

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton reaffirmed the need for city residents to remain safe as the storm that pelted the valley with record-breaking rainfall Monday began to settle.

Stanton and members of several other agencies working recovery efforts gathered at the city's Emergency Operations Center offering safety tips and an update on the recovery process.

He urged Phoenix residents with homes flooded with 6 inches or higher to contact the city's damage assessors at 602-534-2222.

Stanton also advised parents to make sure their children refrained from playing in large puddles.

The briefing took place in the late afternoon, just before rush hour, for which Stanton said commuters should drive safely by avoiding areas flooded by the storm.

The mayor said he had spoken to the U.S. Small Business Administration in Arizona after it approved Phoenix City Councilwoman Kate Gallego's and Gov. Jan Brewer's request for financial assistance for residents in south Phoenix with homes flooded in prior monsoon storms.

He also said the Governor's Office was trying to determine whether Arizona would qualify for federal emergency assistance.

Phoenix Fire Department assistant chief and emergency management coordinator Kevin Kalkbrenner said 13 of the 30 roadways that had been closed due to flooding had been reopened as of about 4 p.m. Monday.

The city was continuing its efforts to clear roadways and other flooded areas, Kalkbrenner said.

By early afternoon, Arizona Department of Transportation crews had reopened portions of westbound Interstate 10 near 43rd Avenue, the site where dozens of drivers were forced to abandon their vehicles and wade to higher ground.

ADOT officials said they would work with the Department of Public Safety to tow the abandoned and flooded vehicles to ensure they they're not blocking traffic or interfering with cleanup efforts. Mud had slowed the process, and crews were able to reopen eastbound I-10 between 51st Avenue and 35th Avenue by early Monday evening, according to transportation officials.

By early Monday afternoon, crews had reopened several areas on U.S. 60 that were closed earlier in the day, including U.S. 60 in Mesa at Val Vista, U.S. 60 in Tempe at Priest Drive, and U.S. 60 in the West Valley, where it is also known as Grand Avenue, between 51st and 59th avenues, according to ADOT.

Transportation officials also reopened Interstate 17 at Indian School Road late Monday morning. The area had been closed since shortly after 5 a.m.

ADOT spokesman Tim Tait said the department has pulled in staff from other areas of the state to assist with inspections, lighting areas and other operational issues.Tait said 130 employees from maintenance crews in metro Phoenix have been on the road since about 3:30 a.m.

"It's essentially all hands on deck at ADOT," he said. "We're making use of everyone that's available in the field today."

But Tait said the agency has yet to mobilize everyone throughout Arizona—other staff members are on standby as forecasts threaten to produce more rain throughout the state.

Several city roadways have also begun to reopen after the deluge, officials said Monday afternoon.

According to Scottsdale police, these roads included Scottsdale Road and McDonald Drive, Hayden and Indian School roads, and McKellips and Miller roads. Phoenix police said several areas have reopened as well, including 46th Street and Shea Boulevard, 16th Street and Southern Avenue, Baseline Road west of Central Avenue and Tatum Boulevard between Cholla Street and Shea.

Monday's downpour has been frequently referred to as a monsoon, but is actually a hybrid of the Valley's seasonal storms and Tropical Storm Norbert, according to 12 News meteorologists.

Gov. Jan Brewer ordered non-essential state employees to stay home Monday and she declared a "statewide emergency for areas impacted by today's severe rainfall and flooding."

The storms prompted Stanton to declare a state of emergency for the city of Phoenix, an action that allows multiple city departments to operate and respond from one location.

Stanton said the emergency management team would workk "around the clock" to monitor the situation and deploy the necessary resources to areas of the community that were hit the hardest.

"Last night the city of Phoenix and our entire regions saw levels of rainfall we haven't seen in nearly a century," Stanton said at a media briefing late Monday morning. "...Thank God there have been no fatalities as a result of this historic rainfall and flooding."

Kalkbrenner said the Fire Department experienced 1,300 calls from about 3 to 9 a.m. and the Police Department fielded 3,491 calls from midnight to 10:30 a.m. — 2,000 more calls than last Monday. By the 11:30 a.m. news conference, the Fire Department had performed 14 water rescues.

The downpour caused at least two mudslides on Valley roadways. Mud and debris from the embankment near Loop 202 Santan Freeway at Price Road washed down onto the roadway. By 10 a.m., sweepers were cleaning up the westbound lanes and the eastbound lanes were already open, according to ADOT.

A similar scenario unfolded near State Route 51 and Shea Boulevard, with dirt and rock running down the slope and onto the roadway. ADOT crews were using hand tools and a truck to mop up the mess on the northbound roadway and the southbound lanes were open.

More than two-dozen schools, including the Maricopa Community College District, delayed or canceled classes Monday morning.

All 19 schools in the Roosevelt district are closed.

The district, which stretches the base of South Mountain to the Salt River and from 40th Street to 35th Avenue, is inundated with water coming down off South Mountain, said Joseph Ortiz, spokesman for the Roosevelt school district.

"We're always going to do what's best for the safety and security of the students," he said. "The decision to not hold classes today was the result of many of our principals calling in, saying it was difficult to get to the schools and that there was some water damage from some of our schools."

Robocalls notified the parents of the more than 9,500 students in English and Spanish that schools would be closed today, Ortiz said. The message was also posted to the Roosevelt district's Facebook page.

At John F. Kennedy Elementary school in the Roosevelt District, classrooms are seeing minor flooding while the fields behind the school are flooded anywhere from an inch up to 5 feet.

"We're evaluating whether school will be back tomorrow. It depends on whether there is more rain today," Ortiz said.

Three weeks ago, Sunland Elementary closed after monsoon storms turned the school into a "mini-raging river," seeping into classrooms and causing water damage. The school has since been moved to a new campus for what could be the rest of the semester while the water damage is repaired.

The Maricopa County Flood Control District recorded more than 3 inches of rain at several of its rain gauges, and the widespread damage from Monday morning's storm is unique — even in an active monsoon.

"Occasionally we'll get a storm that really dumps on the west end of U.S. 60, or the central part, but not to this extent over the whole urban area," said Steve Waters, a flood warning branch manager with the flood control district.

"There is still rain coming from the southwest," Waters said early Monday morning. "We're going to be in this for the better part of the day."

The storms prompted firefighters and paramedics to rescue a handful of stranded motorists early Monday morning, including a man who became trapped in his car about 3:15 a.m. near 77th Street and Roosevelt, according to a public-safety spokesman.

More than two-dozen firefighters from Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe and Chandler worked to rescue the man who was trapped in about 3 feet of running water, with about a foot of water inside his car, said Scottsdale Fire Battalion Chief Rod Thompson.

A Tempe police spokesman also reported about 6:15 a.m. Monday that a roof collapsed at a supermarket near Baseline Road and McClintock Drive, though no one was injured in the incident.

Firefighters were called to rescue 13 children who were stuck inside the Child Time child-care center in Chandler near Dobson Road and Chandler Boulevard. The building was undisturbed but was situated like an island, surrounded by water, and access to the building became an issue, according to firefighters.

The child-care center was shut down, officials phoned parents to pick up their children and firefighters helped remove the kids from the building.

Lucky Paws Shelter, a cage-free animal shelter at 6423 E. Thomas Road in Scottsdale, flooded from overnight heavy rains. Shelter director Kelly Perry said there was ankle-deep water in many of the dog rooms and all of the dog bedding was ruined.

"We have 86 dogs and 19 puppies, and we're lucky to have the couches so they can get up out of the water, but we had to throw out all of the big dog beds," she said. "Anything on the floor was ruined. Some places were four inches deep, depending on how the water rises in certain areas."

Volunteers were mopping and shop-vacing the water. Dog bedding, towels, mops and other supplies are needed. Visit luckypawsaz.org to make donations.

The storm directed attention and resources to various other animal shelters as well, but it appeared damage elsewhere was minimal.

The Arizona Humane Society's Campus for Compassion on Dobbins Road was closed Monday due to flooded roads. Workers arrived early to place sandbags, thus keeping water out of the shelter, said spokesperson Bretta Nelson, and the shelter is expected to reopen Tuesday. shelter dog flooding

Minor damage was reported at the Sunnyslope facility. Officials said water got into the admissions office and the animal hospital, but the shelter was open with limited staffing.

The Arizona Animal Welfare League and SPCA shelter at 40th Street and Washington suffered minor flooding damage. Water from the courtyard seeped into the recently renovated Education Building, causing flooring and drywall damage to a classroom and the reptile room, but no animals were affected.

Officers from Maricopa County Animal Care and Control were unable to respond to calls Monday morning due to Valleywide flooding. However, call volume was lighter than usual, reported spokesperson Melissa Gable, perhaps because strays knew better than to be out in weather like this.

Officials said it was too early to tell whether there was a spike in homeless people seeking services at Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS) in downtown Phoenix.

"We didn't see too big of a recorded increase in folks needing shelter last night but that's largely because we do our check-in at 6 p.m. and the rain didn't start until 2 a.m.," CASS spokeswoman Lindsey Roberts said.

The non-profit typically houses over 900 men, women and children nightly at its primary shelters. In anticipation of the overnight storms, CASS last night also opened up the Lodestar Day Resource Center, an adjacent building on the downtown human services campus with 200 additional beds. The Lodestar Day center regularly is used as an emergency weather relief shelter, usually when there are extreme heat or cold advisories.

"It's kind of normal protocol for us whenever these situations arise," Roberts said, adding that the emergency weather relief shelter would likely be open again tonight. "During these times, we don't turn anyone away. So anyone who needs a place to escape the elements, we can provide that."


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Expert: Phoenix storm 'one for the record books'

Anne Ryman, The Republic | azcentral.com 9:58 p.m. MST September 8, 2014

Weather experts say Monday's storm was "one for the record books," occurring near the tail end of Arizona's monsoon and fed by a tropical storm pushing up the California coast.

The National Weather Service reported 3.29 inches of rain at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, breaking the calendar-day record set 75 years ago, when 2.91 inches of rain was recorded. The airport is the official reporting station for the National Weather Service in Phoenix.

"This is pretty historic," said Randy Cerveny, a weather expert and professor of geological sciences at Arizona State University.

Average rainfall for the Valley is about 9 inches a year, he said. Some parts of the Valley, such as Chandler, reported more than 5 inches of rain just from this storm.

Weather experts say these types of storms with prolonged, widespread rain occur only once every five to 10 years in Arizona.

It is not yet clear whether Monday's storm falls into the "100-year flood" category, meaning flooding was so severe that the phenomenon is likely to occur only once every century.

The National Weather Service was still in the process Monday of compiling data from various rain gauges, and said the process to determine that could take about a day.

But National Weather Service meteorologist Charlotte Dewey offered this context to describe the storm: "Anyone who has lived here and is 60 or 70 years old likely hasn't seen this in their lifetime."

One climate expert described the sustained downpour as the desert equivalent of a "big winter storm" in terms of coverage, as rain fell over the Phoenix metropolitan area for several hours.

"We don't get that many. Fall is typically going into our drier time of the year," said Christopher Castro, an associate professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Arizona.

Every so often, though, a tropical storm or hurricane in the east Pacific Ocean pushes northward, along the coast of Mexico. The storms either curve into the Southwest or pump up moisture in the area. This creates an atmosphere so saturated that rain basically can occur at any time. The rain can be fairly widespread.

ASU's Cerveny said the last time a dying tropical storm brought rain this significant to the state was in 1997 with Hurricane Nora. But that rain hit Yuma and western Arizona, not the Phoenix area, he said.

Castro said this storm was notable for shattering a 75-year rainfall record.

"It's some of the worst flooding I've ever seen in Phoenix," he said.

The downpour stranded motorists, turned freeways into rivers and closed schools Monday morning. Gov. Jan Brewer declared a statewide emergency for areas affected by the heavy rainfall and flooding, and told all "non-essential" state employees to stay home.

The historic rainfall won't do much to alleviate the drought, though.

Cerveny said most of the rain will run into streams, not Valley water sources. The best source of moisture to alleviate drought is snow in the rim country, where the melt can trickle into reservoirs.

"This helps a little bit," he said. "This definitely moistens things up, fills up the soil."

The summer has been marked by other extreme weather, including an intense storm in August that hit the mountain towns of Black Canyon City and New River and led to dramatic rescues. It's a season that Cerveny, and others, won't soon forget.

"This has been a very memorable Arizona monsoon," he said.

Reach the reporter at 602-444-8072 or anne.ryman@arizonarepublic.com


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Storm slams Tempe, officials urged caution amid street debris

Dianna M. Náñez, The Republic | azcentral.com 4:32 p.m. MST September 8, 2014

In Tempe, flood water runoff rushed over the western end of Town Lake and officials urged caution while navigating re-opened city streets that remain a muddy mess after flooding receded.

Amid a widespread Valley storm that has shattered rainfall records, the Tempe Police Department turned to social media to issue warnings, report street closures and post photos of dangerous street conditions. Police photos showed pedestrians and cars slogging through flooded streets.

Officials struggled to update residents amidst historic rainfall that set records and wreaked havoc. Lt. Michael Pooley, a Tempe police spokesman, reminded residents traveling in the rush-hour commute to be mindful and drive slowly.

"Most of the water is probably gone by now but be very careful of the debris in the road, whether that be rocks, mud, trees, bushes, just use caution as you're going through the roads," Pooley said. "Get home safely and have patience."

Tempe Town Lake had not seen any water releases from upstream lakes, but torrents from Scottsdale rainfall runoff was rushing through the lake.

"Water is coming over the west dam from Indian Bend Wash," Nikki Ripley, a Tempe spokeswoman said.

All Tempe streets had re-opened as of early afternoon before the rush-hour commute. City officials warned drivers to consider the dangerous road conditions.

"As flooding in the streets clears it can leave behind dirt, making it difficult to see lane markings. Be aware and drive safe," an afternoon Tempe warning on Twitter read.

A Fry's grocery store at McClintock Drive and Baseline Road remained closed after the roof caved at about 6 a.m. Pooley said no one was injured in the roof accident.

Tempe schools had issued a warning early in the morning that left some schools nearly empty of students.

"Tempe Union High Schools are open today, however we encourage parents to keep their students home, or delay arrival to school until weather clears," read the notice.

Tempe had told non-essential city employees to delay going to work until the roads are clear.

Light rail continued to operate. Tempe buses are operating this afternoon, but officials reminded residents there may delays.

Sand bags are available at Tempe Public Works, at the northeastern corner Priest Drive and Rio Salado Parkway and at Benedict Sports Complex, at the northwestern corner of Kyrene and Guadalupe roads.


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Chandler streets flooded from massive regional storm

Annie Z. Yu, The Republic | azcentral.com 5:34 p.m. MST September 8, 2014

The massive storm that hit the area early Monday flooded Chandler streets and prompted the city to activate its Emergency Operations Center to help coordination between the Police Department and other cities. Various city departments have increased staffing to handle immediate needs.

By late afternoon, street crews were still working to set up barricades for lanes, unclog drain pipes and other tasks, city spokesman Jim Phipps said.

Ponding remains on a number of city streets as rush hour traffic picks up.

"It's pretty much a mess out there on the city streets," Phipps said.

As of 4:20 p.m., the following streets remained fully closed:

Hamilton and Morelos streets

Hamilton Street between Pecos and Frye roads

Kyrene Road and Chandler Boulevard

Dobson and Knox roads northbound

Andersen Boulevard and Arrowhead Drive to Carlo Vista Drive

Arrowhead Road and Chandler Boulevard

Eastbound Frye Road and Galleria Way to Price Road (SB 101)

Hunt Highway between Gilbert Road and Val Vista Drive

Price and Germann roads

The following streets remained partially closed:
Price and Germann roads to Willis (northbound)

Priest Drive and Ray Road (westbound, southbound partially closed)

Chandler Boulevard and Dobson Road (westbound, northbound partially closed)

Frye and Alma School roads (northbound partially closed)

Pecos Road and Arizona Avenue (eastbound)

Arizona Avenue and Germann Road (westbound)

Chandler Boulevard and Kyrene Road (westbound, northbound one-lane restriction)

Pecos and Alma School roads (one-lane restriction, all directions)

The following roadways remained flooded but passable:
Hamilton Street eastbound at Pecos Road

Hamilton and Chicago streets

Willis Road between Price and Alma School roads

Pecos Road between McQueen Road and Arizona Avenue

Gilbert Road at Ocotillo

Val Vista Drive South of Chandler Heights Road

Germann Road westbound, west of Arizona Avenue

Queen Creek Road at Arizona Avenue

Westbound Chandler Boulevard at Dobson Road

Lindsay and Riggs roads

Dobson and Elliot roads to Warner Road

Chandler Fire, Health & Medical Department spokesman Keith Welch said one of the hardest-hit areas was the Anderson Springs neighborhood near Chandler Boulevard and Pennington Drive. The department partnered with police to create a task force, whose members began going door-to-door in that area about 1:30 p.m. to check on residents.

The teams did not find any issues that required additional help. They began checking on other impacted areas in the city by 3:30 p.m., and were still working on that by late afternoon, Welch told The Arizona Republic at about 4:15 p.m.

Other impacted areas in the city include Ray Road and Hamilton Street and Dobson and Germann roads, Welch said.

The department also began looking for alternative areas to pump water, as the majority of the city's water retention areas were at maximum capacity by late afternoon, Welch said.

Sand and bags will be available at the Fire, Health & Medical Department headquarters at 151 E. Boston St. until 8 p.m. or until supplies run out. At one point the city ran out of sandbag materials to give to residents and directed them to their local Lowe's, Home Depot or other home goods store.

Chandler Unified School District remained open, although children will not be penalized if parents decided it wasn't safe to take them to school, Phipps said.

The city also announced some flooding in its council chambers, prompting officials to move tonight's 7 p.m. council meeting to the second floor of City Hall. The chamber's carpet is damp but should be fine in time for Thursday's meeting, city spokeswoman Jane Poston said.

There were no city office closures, she said.

A single power outage that happened shortly after 1 p.m. impacted an estimated 1,109 customers on Price Road to Alma School Road and Warner Road to Pecos Road, according to the SRP website's outages map.

Man paddle boards down street in Chandler.

According to the map, the outages should be resolved within two hours, by 3:12 p.m. SRP spokesman Jeff Lane said shortly after 2:15 p.m. that SRP crews are still investigating the cause.

Several Chandler customers were impacted by power outages in the early morning, according to the outages map.

As of noon, 850 SRP customers across the Valley without power, down from approximately 28,000 during the night, according to Lane.

Valley-wide, warnings extended until at least 10:30 a.m. Gov. Jan Brewer ordered non-essential employees to stay home; tens of thousands of APS customers had no power; cars were abandoned on Interstate 10 due to high waters.

This is the biggest flood the region has seen in 44 years, according to Channel 12 meteorologist James Quinones.

Check back for more Chandler updates and see Valleywide coverage at azcentral.com. Follow reporter Annie Z. Yu on Twitter @anniezyu.


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Homeless in Arizona

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