US Flood
US Flood-2014
Floodwaters caused by heavy rains wreaked havoc in the United States this week. Throughout the Southwest, roads have been closed, homes and cars submerged, and two people have been reported to have lost their lives.
Monsoon storms are common in the Southwest during the summer, and with Tropical Storm Norbert combining with monsoon moisture on Monday, there was record-setting rainfall Phoenix, Arizona. The heavy rainfall caused floodwaters that submerged vehicles and homes in Nevada and Arizona, and were responsible for at least two deaths in southern Arizona.
A 76-year-old woman was killed when her husband attempted to drive across a flooded area. The incident occurred in Pinal County, Arizona, when their vehicle was swept away by the fast-moving water. Both exited their vehicle in an attempt to swim to safety, and the husband, age 69, was able to make it out of the water, but sadly, his wife drowned.
Also in Arizona, another woman was killed when her car was inundated by the rushing floodwaters. The Tucson Fire Department reported that rescuers were unable to reach her vehicle in time to save her life. Capt. Barrett Baker reported the waters were more than 12-feet deep, pushing her car for several blocks.
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer said Monday that they were in a state of emergency as the flooding forced the closure of roads and schools. Freeways in Phoenix had quickly transformed to lakes, and rescuers worked diligently to get drivers out of vehicles overcome with water.
In Moapa, Nevada, the heavy rains left up to 200 elementary students trapped in a school on Monday. Highway Patrol Spokesman Loy Hixson reported that the children at Perkins Elementary school, located about 60 miles from Las Vegas, were safe with teachers during the incident.
Moapa, a town of about 1,000 people located 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas, saw the worst of the storm. Three teenagers on ATVs had to be rescued with a helicopter after becoming overwhelmed by floodwaters. Approximately 190 people were evacuated from the Moapa Band of Paiutes reservation due to the fear that the Muddy River dam would become breached. Moapa tribal office administrator, Sherryl Patterson, assessed the damage and reported a lot of mud, rivers running across people’s properties and collapsed roads.
Erin Neff, spokeswoman for the Clark County Regional Flood Control District, described the scene after more than 4 inches of rain fell within a two hour period as a “near-miss,” saying that the Muddy and Virgin rivers had almost been breached.
The rains and flash floods eroded away parts of Interstate 15 in Nevada, taking many vehicles along with it. State officials were forced to close a 50-mile section of the interstate that runs from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas. Transportation officials reported heavy damage to the area, saying it could take at least four days to repair the eroded highway. A detour added about 50 miles for travelers commuting between the two cities. Utah Department of Transportation spokesman, John Gleason, said that it can’t be overstated how important I-15 is to the people traveling through the area.
While the situation has been very extreme for the past few days, officials are optimistic that they can have the roads and railways functioning again soon.