Volunteers descend on Arizona towns hit by catastrophic flooding

GILA COUNTY, Ariz. - Catastrophic flooding has destroyed parts of Globe and Miami, Arizona, as three separate storm waves brought down a massive amount of water.

In the aftermath, hundreds of volunteers have poured into the small towns to help with the cleanup.

What we know:

Residents described a "wall of water" that engulfed a roadway in just 20 minutes, turning it into a river. Video from Friday night shows cars and people being swept away.

"This is the worst thing we’ve ever seen," resident Kate McGlynn said. "It came over the wash, came in through the back door. And by the time I got downstairs to even look, it was two and a half feet of water."

McGlynn and other residents said the community has come together, with families and even a high school football team traveling from across the state to help.

"Nothing like a tragedy to bring together a community," McGlynn said. "Everybody wants to help. Everybody is watching out for each other."

RELATED: Globe community starts to rebuild after deadly flash floods

‘This is real destruction’

"They could see that the water level completely filled the basement. I mean, it was devastating. So it was kind of eye-opening for them, like, man, this is real destruction," said Fred Clare, assistant football coach at Combs High School.

The destruction has left business owners concerned about future monsoon seasons.

"Some of the merchants here, nobody's getting rich," said Don Reiman, a Miami councilman and business owner. "And then you add building damage and clean up. And it's really a heartbreaking thing."

Reiman stressed the need for fast funding to deepen and widen the towns' washes, which he says is crucial to withstand future rainfall.

What they're saying:

Residents are left to sort through the damage, remarking on the severe storm's impact.

"I’m just grateful that I had family that could come help me clean everything out," said a resident identified only as Rosemary.

She said a young family member's bedroom was destroyed. "All her little collections, princess dresses, they’re ruined."

Rosemary recounted a close call, too. "We did have one 15-year-old who was taking care of our house because we were gone for 2 days, and he almost got washed away, so my grandson came and saved him. I don’t know how he did it through all the water creeks."

Officials said they have made significant progress over the last few days.

"They were able to remove vehicles from Six Shooter and Icehouse canyons, so a lot of vehicles were removed out of that area. A lot of propane tanks were moved yesterday as well. Our hand crews and our hotshot crew are staying engaged, cutting down debris, removing obstacles within the creek, taking down any damaged or downed trees around the properties and commercial buildings in downtown Globe," said Tiffany Davila of the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management.

Residents said they are coming together to support one another.

"This is all materialistic, but if we would have lost anyone, like other families have, it would have been devastating," Rosemary said. "We can come back from this. The neighborhood, everyone came and joined and helped."

Rosemary praised the town's spirit.

"It's a small town and that’s what we do. We have to help each other. I just love Globe. You get the help when you need it," she said."

Residents Call For Help:

Residents of Globe and Miami brought their concerns directly to local leaders Monday, asking about financial aid, hazardous materials and future flood prevention following the weekend's historic flooding.

Residents are raising questions about propane tanks that were dislodged by floodwaters and have been collected near a residential neighborhood. FOX 10 cameras captured tanks being returned to a property belonging to Matlock Propane and Equipment on Monday.

Michael Gorman, who lives near the yard, said he is worried about the tanks. "They declared a hazmat emergency and then they stack 'em right here in the neighborhood," Gorman said.

‘We already lost three lives …'

Globe Fire Chief Gary Robinson said some of the tanks were "off-gassing," but air quality checks showed the area was safe. Gorman said he hopes the tanks will be permanently removed.

"They oughta dispose of 'em," he said. "They've been there for years, and they haven't done anything with 'em, but now they're in the limelight."

Meanwhile, business owners like Roger Dahling are focused on the need for financial assistance.

"I mean, I'm wiped out," Dahling said. "I have a family to support. That was my livelihood. I don't have the money to replace all that was lost in there. I'll have to go out of business."

Dahling urged leaders to act quickly. "The federal government, Army Corps of Engineers, they need to get their butts in here and get something done," he said. "We already lost three lives that we know of, we don't know how many more they're gonna find."

During a press conference Monday afternoon, officials said they are working to expedite funding for the affected communities.

FOX 10 reached out to Matlock Propane and Equipment for comment but has not received a response.

What you can do:

County officials are urging affected residents to complete a damage assessment survey to help with recovery efforts. Click here to complete the survey.

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