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Gila River surges to 16 feet as severe flooding threatens eastern Arizona
Rushing floodwaters and a landslide caused closures on U.S. 70 in Duncan as Greenlee County experiences unusually high water levels during monsoon season. FOX 10's Andrew Christiansen has the latest on this atypical event for the area.
GREENLEE COUNTY, Ariz. - Late monsoon storms are bringing extreme flooding to Greenlee County in eastern Arizona. It's a situation local officials say is far from typical.
Significant Flooding:
Greenlee County Sheriff Eric Ellison shared footage showing heavy flooding across the region. Normally, the Gila River runs about a foot deep during the monsoon season, but current levels have reached at least 16 feet. A landslide also occurred in Duncan, temporarily closing a roadway.
The video highlights the intensity of the storm, with water raging across local pathways. Every road and every creek in the area is running heavy.
What they're saying:
Sheriff Ellison said the major flooding affecting Duncan had as much as three feet of water covering some of the roadways.
"Normally, the Gila River is ankle deep at this time. It's not a heavy river that floods very often, just certain times of the year, monsoon," Ellison said.
Greenlee County Sheriff Eric Ellison shared footage showing heavy flooding across Greenlee County.
Highways Impacted:
Earlier, a wash overflowed onto U.S. 70, forcing authorities to shut down the highway. Ellison noted that the rushing water knocked about 40 telephone poles into a culvert.
"We have problems in Duncan every year with the water and especially this area, but this year it's a lot worse," Ellison said.
A landslide also created dangerous conditions on U.S. 70 in Duncan.
"The shoulder embankment on one of the hillsides. It kind of came down and blocked the roadways until ADOT cleaned it up," Ellison said.
The Arizona Department of Transportation briefly closed the road while clearing the debris.
Infrastructure Impacts?:
If conditions deteriorate further, local infrastructure could be compromised.
"The river itself is a little bit higher than Duncan, so if the dike goes, then Duncan, Arizona will flood," Ellison said.
Big picture view:
The threat extends to the nearby town of Clifton, where the San Francisco River is rising rapidly. If water levels get too high, officials will have to close the town's floodgates.
"The problem with that is, when we close the gate, it separates the town of Morenci and Clifton from any access points, so it kind of traps half the citizens from one side of the wall to the other. We hope it doesn't get that bad," Ellison said.
What you can do:
Sheriff Ellison is urging everyone to avoid driving through floodwaters.
Map of Greenlee County.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Eric Ellison, sheriff of Greenlee County.