At least four people are confirmed dead after heavy rain caused flooding in Arizona, and hundreds of propane tanks have created a hazardous situation in a rural community devastated by the floods.
Three people died after rain inundated Globe, a city of about 7,250 people about 88 miles east of Phoenix, Carl Melford, emergency manager in Gila County, told CBS affiliate KPHO. Two people were found in a vehicle and another in the floodwaters, he said. They were not immediately identified by authorities.
Another person was found dead Saturday morning near a vehicle caught in floodwaters in suburban Phoenix the night before. The vehicle appeared to be empty after it was spotted partially submerged in about 8 feet of fast-moving water on Friday evening in a greenbelt park area, the Scottsdale Fire Department said. After the water dropped a bit overnight, crews found the body of a person pinned underneath a walkway bridge, the department said.
In the rural community of Globe, one of Arizona’s oldest mining towns, sheriff deputies are looking into reports of people who may be missing, Melford said, but could not specify a number.
“We now have a massive search and rescue underway,” he said.
According to the National Weather Service in Phoenix, the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport on Friday saw the highest one-day rainfall total in nearly seven years. It was also the city’s fourth wettest day in recorded history since 2000.
Rain poured down and quickly flooded the downtown area Friday, Melford said. One of the first areas hit was a propane tank distributor, sending about 1,000 residential-sized tanks throughout the community, he said.
“There’s propane tanks everywhere through downtown Globe,” he said, adding that hazmat workers have been sent to the scene. “Luckily none of them ignited or exploded.”
The area previously experienced flooding in 2021 after a wildfire, but it didn’t happen like this, Melford said.
“This was an extremely heavy amount of rain in an extremely short period of time,” he said.
Authorities are asking residents to not go out searching in the floodwaters because search and rescue officials are accompanied by dogs who might pick up the scent of aspiring volunteers instead of possible flood victims. If people want to help, they should start by assisting friends and neighbors in need, Melford said.
Globe city council members declared an emergency, saying they have never seen anything like the flooding.
Scores of people have stepped up to volunteer, said Mayor Al Gamero, adding that many buildings in the community’s downtown have been damaged. Officials asked people to stay away from the area until they could ensure it is safe to go in there.
“Our primary, again, is search and rescue,” Gamero said Saturday.
