monsoon

he Northern Arizona Chapter of the American Red Cross has opened a shelter at the request of the Yavapai County Office of Emergency Management at Mayer High School at 17300 E. Mule Deer Drive, in Mayer, AZ due to flooding.  Evacuees may come to the high school for shelter, food and information.  An update will follow as needed.

Visitors to Mt. Graham are advised to use extra caution due to monsoonal storms and increased potential for flooding.

Heavy rainfall may cause downstream flooding of streams, canyons, roads and trails during and after storms. On Mt. Graham, runoff and flooding may be accelerated from the burn scar of the 2017 Frye Fire, as vegetative cover has been lost and water, soil, rocks and woody debris may move swiftly downslope without warning.

Continuing monsoonal moisture has allowed fire officials on the Kaibab National Forest to consider two new lightning caused wildfires on the Tusayan Ranger District for the potential of benefiting forest health objectives and community protection.

Coconino County Public Works Crews re-opened Brandis Way after a closure July 18. All county roads are open; however, motorists should use caution when traveling through the area because debris and operating equipment may present hazards. 

County Public Works crews closed Brandis Way due to an extraordinary event, with almost six inches of rain in less than two hours, that caused debris flows and water over the roadway on July 18. Debris obstructed one of the culverts, diverting water and debris onto the road and rendering it impassable.

Coconino County has activated an Emergency Operation Center (EOC) to coordinate emergency response operations due to heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding this afternoon in the Schultz Flood area.

County Public Works crews closed Brandis Way due to significant water over the roadway. Debris obstructed one of the culverts, diverting water and debris onto the road and rendering it impassable. Public Works has crews on scene and has begun assessment of the damage and clean-up will commence as soon as it’s safe to enter.

 Coconino County will lift fire restrictions above the North Rim of the Grand Canyon effective immediately. This region received significant moisture during the last week, decreasing fire risk.

Effective Tuesday, July 17, 2018 beginning at 12:00 A.M. - Stage 2 Fire Restrictions will be lifted on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation.  Fire danger is “moderate” and a monsoonal weather pattern is predicted to continue across the Reservation this week.

The monsoons have arrived on the White Mountain’s. All fire restrictions on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests are lifted and closures have been rescinded, effective Monday, July 17, 2018 at 3:00p.m. Even though the fire restriction are lifted you still need to be responsible and make sure your campfires are dead out if left unattended. 

We would like to again thank all of our visitors for being patient, understanding, and obeying the restrictions and closures during our drought conditions.

Flooding forced the closure of State Route 238 between mileposts 40 and 24 west of Maricopa, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

There is no estimated reopening time.