At least 4 dead in Arizona following devastating flooding

At least four people have confirmed dead after heavy rains caused floods in Arizona, and hundreds of propane tanks have created a dangerous situation in a rural community devastated by floods.

Three people died after the rain flooded Globe, a city of approximately 7,250 people to the east of Phoenix, Carl Melford, emergency manager in Gila county, told the CBS Kpho subsidiary. Two people were found in a vehicle and another in flood waters, he said. They were not immediately identified by the authorities.

Another person was found dead on Saturday morning near a vehicle taken in flood waters in the suburbs of Phoenix the previous night. The vehicle seemed to be empty after being spotted partially overwhelmed in approximately 8 feet of fast water on Friday evening in a park area of ​​the greenery, said the Scottsdale fire service. After the water has dropped a little overnight, crews found the body of a person pinned under a bridge bridge, the department said.

In the rural community of Globe, one of the oldest mining cities in Arizona, the Sheriff deputies are considering relationships of people who can be missing, said Melford, but could not specify a number.

“We now have a massive research and an ongoing rescue,” he said.

According to the National Weather Service in Phoenix, Phoenix Sky Harbor airport has seen the highest total of a day in almost seven years. It was also the wet fourth day in the city in the history recorded since 2000.

The rain took place and quickly flooded the city center on Friday, said Melford. One of the first affected areas was a propane tanker distributor, sending around 1,000 tanks of residential size throughout the community, he said.

“There are propane tanks all over the city center,” he said, adding that Hazmat workers were sent to the scene. “Fortunately, none of them started or exploded.”

The region has already experienced floods in 2021 after a forest fire, but that did not happen like that, said Melford.

“It was an extremely high amount of rain in an extremely short time,” he said.

The authorities ask residents not to go out in flood waters because research and rescue managers are accompanied by dogs who could pick up the smell of budding volunteers instead of possible flood victims. If people want to help, they should start by helping friends and neighbors in need, said Melford.

The members of the Globe municipal council declared an emergency, saying that they had never seen anything such a flood.

Dozens of people went to volunteer, said Mayor Al Gamero, adding that many buildings in the city center of the community had been damaged. The officials asked people to stay away from the area until they can make sure it is sure to go.

“Our primary, once again, is research and rescue,” Gamero said on Saturday.