Wind, hail and record rainfall have residents trying to hold back water and minimize damage.
Pockets of flooding have caused damage to homes, reported City of Flagstaff Public Affairs Director Jessica Drum, as the city and Coconino County have been working together to address the issues.
The hardest hit area was downstream from the Museum Fire scar behind the Museum of Northern Arizona, which the Rio de Flag runs through, says Drum. She said the drainage was roaring. “It was crazy.”
About 1.7 inches of rain fell in 15 minutes during one storm. The Fort Valley area received a lot of flooding, while Munds Park and the Lake Mary had hail.
“The community has been incredible,” she said, noting that United Way has coordinated volunteers to help, including athletes from local high schools and Northern Arizona University. “They have done everything, from debris clean-up to putting up sandbags. East Flagstaff is still cleaning up.”
Meanwhile, the city and county have had a joint emergency operation center to address flooding issues. “Our message is: Stay where you are and shelter in place [when storms hit]. We do not encourage you to evacuate,” she said.
For assistance with flood issues, residents can call the emergency operation center at 928-679-8525.
Flagstaff Farmers Insurance agent Stephanie Trisler says policyholders have experienced some damage. “At one time, we could not get to our office. The roads were closed due to flooding and we had to work from home.”
Hail and wind damage in Flagstaff was worse than the flood damage, she reports. Farmers Insurance sent a special catastrophe team to Phoenix for auto and home claims.
“Mother Nature is on a roll we cannot control, but we have the experience and knowledge to take care of our policyholders, whether it’s rain storms, hail, flooding, fires, tornadoes, etc.,” she said.
As a result of the fierce 2021 monsoon season, Trisler says more clients are buying storm damage insurance in Arizona as well as in Florida and Texas.
She recommends that people reach out to their insurance agents to review their policies to make sure there are no gaps regarding hail, wind and flood damage, especially if they have valuables like jewelry, fine art and musical instruments. FBN
By Stan Bindell, FBN
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