Verde Valley community rallies to rebuild after destructive floods
Arizona flood recovery: Cornville neighbors rebuild after record rain
Cornville homeowners are picking up the pieces and helping one another rebuild after unprecedented floodwaters swept through their neighborhood last week. FOX 10's Jacob Luthi hears from neighbors.
CORNVILLE, Ariz. - One week after destructive flooding swept through parts of the Verde Valley, residents are still cleaning up, repairing homes and helping neighbors recover.
Cornville, Arizona:
In Cornville, the damage has been significant, but residents say the community's response has given them hope.
"My neighbor said he saw the refrigerator going downstream with my steaks in it," resident John Krall said, finding a bit of humor amid the devastation.
Unprecedented Storm:
Krall said residents are accustomed to flooding but had never experienced anything like last weekend's storm.
"Never in a million years, and we expect water, and, you know, we plan for flooding, but nothing like this."
Neighbor's Step In:
As conditions worsened on Nov. 1, Ryan Hartman went door to door helping neighbors evacuate. Now, he and others are focused on the difficult work of rebuilding.
"It took out the sewer, and it took out our water," Hartman. "It's rebuilding, it's repairing the homes, it's trying to get, you know, some sort of help any way we can."
Trapped In Homes:
First responders and volunteers also played a critical role during the flooding.
Mark Langfelder, a volunteer with the Yavapai County Jeep Posse, said his crew assisted sheriff's deputies with rescue operations, including using drones to locate people trapped inside their homes.
"We were shocked. The house was a two-story house, and the entire bottom floor was surrounded by water 360 degrees," Langfelder said.
Dig deeper:
He recalled helping rescue one woman who was trapped inside her flooded home.
"Got her all hooked up and brought her up to the helicopter, and she was brought to us basically safe," he said.
In the days since, residents say neighbors have continued stepping up, bringing food, supplies and helping hands to those affected.
"Just fantastic neighbors. The community has all pitched in. They've made lunches for everybody. We've had people I don't even know show up with shovels, and it puts a lot of faith in humankind," Krall said.
What you can do:
Yavapai County Emergency Management says residents can submit damage reports here.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from John Krall, a Cornville resident; Ryan Hartman, a Cornville resident; Mark Langfelder, a volunteer with the Yavapai County Jeep Posse; FOX 10 reporter Jacob Luthi; and previous FOX 10 reporting.