Life Coach in Flagstaff, AZ

The Flagstaff area, along with much of northern Arizona, is likely going to experience a wide range of monsoon activity in the coming days.

The rain that started to fall in Flagstaff mid-afternoon Monday could taper off before the end of the night but it could also carry through to the next morning and then throughout the day Tuesday, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Paige Swenson.

When the rain suddenly intensified, the National Weather Service and Coconino County declared a flash flood warning at 3:20 p.m. extending at least until 6:15 p.m.

In less than two hours Monday, areas in south Flagstaff and around Northern Arizona University received between one and three quarters of an inch of rain. This caused temporary flooding of a busy stretch of Milton Road and Route 66 which forced traffic to slow to a crawl as cars made their way through the water-filled roadways.

The areas most at-risk of post-wildfire flooding escaped the worst of Monday afternoon's rainfall though the small amount of water was enough to muddy up much of the shoulder of U.S. 89 heading north out of Flagstaff where flooding forced a road closure July 14.

"This stretch (of monsoon activity) has definitely been pretty active, we haven't seen a huge break in it which has definitely been a little bit of a change so far this year," Swenson said.

The most recent rainfall comes as thousands of homes and businesses around Flagstaff work to recover from recent flash flooding with dark storm clouds looming above.

In the past weeks, the Coconino County Flood Control District has been working with the Arizona Army National Guard and countless volunteers to fill and distribute tens of thousands of sandbags throughout the community.

This flood mitigation managed to hold up throughout some minor rainfalls over the weekend but will likely face much heavier rain this week.

"The impact that we can always be mindful of is definitely going to be flash flooding, especially in areas that are near recent burn scars," Swenson said.

So far this year, the Doney Park, Fernwood, Timberline and Wupatki Trails neighborhoods have experienced severe flooding from the nearby Pipeline and Museum Fire burn scars that bring with them ash and debris, which can be dangerous.

In June, the City of Flagstaff along with the Coconino County Flood Control District and the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management implemented a new siren alert system for the neighborhoods downstream of the Museum Fire burn scar.

When 0.75 inches of rain falls on this burn scar in a 15-minute time span, an alarm will sound, followed by a voice message alerting of imminent flash flooding. Residents in this area will also receive text messages that include an alert as well as safety instructions.

Valley could see flood activity, too

A flood watch also was issued for most of central and southern Arizona, as well as parts of northern Arizona, until 5 a.m. Wednesday. According to the National Weather Service’s website, a flood watch is issued when flooding is possible, while a flood warning is issued when flooding is about to happen or is actively happening.

There likely will not be a blanket coverage of rain spanning multiple counties. In the Valley, the weather service said “pop-up” storms are expected throughout the week, with small-area thunderstorms they say will be difficult to predict.

“It’s going to be pretty sporadic, at least for the middle of the week,” said Bianca Feldkircher with the National Weather Service in Phoenix.

How do I stay safe?

Coconino County officials offered the following tips online and advised residents to be prepared for the approaching storms and potential flooding threat. They further recommended that residents sign up for emergency alerts and remember to be in READY status for potential emergencies.

Contact northern Arizona reporter Lacey Latch at llatch@gannett.com or on social media @laceylatch. Coverage of northern Arizona on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is funded by the nonprofit Report for America and a grant from the Vitalyst Health Foundation in association with The Arizona Republic.

Parts of Flagstaff are already ravaged by flash flooding, as a result of wildfires in recent years. As residents clean up from the last round, they are now preparing for a new round of flooding that could come this weekend. FOX 10's Marissa Sarbak reports.

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - As Flagstaff prepares for another round of flooding, they are still dealing with the aftermath of last weekend's storm.

"It's exhausting just to have the sandbags on site, but I know how important it is," said Cindy Wilson.

Wilson is placing hundreds of sandbags around her Flagstaff property. The sandbags are perfectly aligned to guide the water away from her house. It is something she hasn't had to do since flooding after the Shultz Fire in 2010.

"It's all about the angles," said Wilson. "You want to make sure that what you're doing is to move the water and not stop it, so, when we put barriers right up against our house, we're trying to stop it."

2022's monsoon season is already shaping up to be the worst Coconino County has seen in a decade, because the Pipeline Fire just re-burned the same area of the mountain as the Schultz Fire.

"When you get a very severe burn like that, you get a type of soil created called hydrophobic," said Lucinda Andreani with the Coconino County Flood Control District. "If you were to pour a glass of water on it, it would just run off it like you poured it on your kitchen counter."

There is no vegetation left to soak up the water, and 1.5in of rain that fell last weekend not only would not soak into the charred mountain, it began eroding away at it.

"That area up there, we call it an alluvial fan, or a fan. That has now unraveled. This is the result. All this rock. All this rock, debris has now come down," said Andreani.

Coconino County is working with some of the homeowners in Flagstaff to take the rocks that were deposited, move them, and use them in another area of the city that is also seeing erosion. However, if something is not done permanently, officials with the Coconino County Flood Control District say floods will continue to happen during every substantial rain in the next few years.

"There are 6ft to 10ft deep channels, and potentially through this season, they could grow to 25ft. That's what we saw after the Schultz Fire," said Andreani.

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - Strong storms are underway in the mountains this Saturday, while the monsoon is getting ready to ramp up in the deserts of the state soon.

Thunderstorms this afternoon are most numerous across the mountains of Northern and Eastern Arizona, where plenty of lightning and heavy rain is ongoing. A Flash Flood Warning, which means flash flooding is either happening or imminent, has been issued for the Pipeline burn scar area near Flagstaff until 5:30 p.m. At least an inch of rain has fallen in that area already Saturday afternoon.

The Valley is quiet this afternoon and chances are down just a bit for storms this evening. There’s about a 20% chance for some storm activity later this evening, including gusty winds and blowing dust. But our chances are much better for tomorrow. In fact, Sunday will likely be the first in a stretch of very active days across the Valley and state. A Flash Flood Watch has been issued by the National Weather Service from 1 p.m. Sunday to 5 a.m. Monday for the possibility of localized flooding caused by heavy rains. That’s in effect for much of the state, including all of Maricopa, Pinal, Yavapai, and Pinal Counties.

Storm chances are near 50 to 60% in the Valley for both Sunday and Monday, with explosive storm development likely late in the day Sunday. Most weather models show outflows moving into the Valley tomorrow afternoon or evening, triggering strong thunderstorms. There is also abundant monsoon moisture streaming into the state, leading to higher rainfall amounts and dangerous flooding. Likely we’ll see some flash flood warnings issued Sunday as well, especially near burn scars.

Both Sunday and Monday are First Alert Weather Days, but we may be adding on to that for Tuesday and Wednesday as well. Storm chances are pretty high on both Tuesday and Wednesday. All in all, this could be one of our most active stretches during the 2022 monsoon season.

AZFamily's First Alert Weather App First lets you track storms and get severe weather alerts wherever you are. Get animated radar, hourly and 10-day forecasts, video updates, rainfall totals, and an interactive traffic map. It also provides a 250-meter radar, which is the highest resolution possible. This radar allows you to look into the future so you can see where weather is headed.

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FLAGSTAFF, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) - 30 National Guard members are heading to Flagstaff on Saturday to help with the flash flooding in the region from monsoon rains falling on wildfire burn scars.

C.J. Karamargin, a spokesperson for Governor’s Office, said that Gov. Ducey got the urgent request asking for the guard’s help on Saturday. “This is a top priority for Governor Ducey,” he said. “When a community is in need, our number one priority is to act quickly. What we are seeing is tragic.” He confirmed that by Sunday, 60 National Guard members will be on the ground, with forty members staying until Friday.

Major Kyle Key, an Arizona National Guard Public Affairs Office, said members are helping to fill sandbags ahead of more potential flooding.

“Today they made five thousand sandbags, and we put those on 65 pallets and got them ready to be put on trucks,” Key said. Key said the goal is to have up to 600,000 sandbags by Friday. “It is a large number, and it is a feat I think that we must complete in order to prepare and to mitigate the dangers of these communities in Coconino County.”

“There are a lot of volunteers that came and helped us put a lot more sandbags here. And the county has been very proactive to help us, so it gives us a level of comfort,” said Randy Miller, who lives in Flagstaff.

NEW: Governor Doug Ducey's office confirms National Guard troops will be sent to Coconino County to help after flooding this week. 30 troops will be on the ground today, a spokesperson tells me. 60 will be in the area tomorrow & some will stay through at least Friday. #azfamily

— Whitney Clark (@whitneyclarktv) July 16, 2022

Karamargin confirmed that a crew from the Department of Corrections will also be there as they have been in the area for a while. The troops’ first task will be to create sandbags to stave off the flooding. To track the emergency warnings and emergency status in the Flagstaff and Coconino County area, click here.

On Friday, Arizona’s Family Michael Raimondi went up to northern Arizona where he saw areas of Doney Park hit with flooding and mud. Neighborhoods east of the San Francisco Peaks were surrounding their homes with sandbags. Arizona’s Family was there as Coconino County crews brought in big machines to clear the road.

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FLAGSTAFF, AZ — Governor Doug Ducey is ordering Arizona National Guard troops to the Flagstaff area after flash flooding from monsoon storms inundated area homes.

In a statement Saturday, Ducey said the guard members will assist with flood mitigation measures like filling sandbags.

30 members will be on the ground Saturday afternoon. 30 more members will assist Sunday, and 40 will stay through the week to continue to help the efforts.

Most, Major Kyle Key says, were only 20 or so miles away doing annual training.

"We just pivoted those soldiers over there and re-directed them to the Coconino Public Works building,” Arizona National Guard Spokesman Major Kyle Key. "They accomplished bagging about 5,000 bags. They put them on 65 pallets, shrink-wrapped them and got them ready for transportation."

Major Key expects the soldiers to stay until at least Friday. He's prepared to keep the detail in place longer if necessary.

"We have 600,000 sandbags to fill. You know, it's just a number. But, it's going to be a challenge to get that done. I think we are up for the challenge. It will be a lot of work. But, we are looking forward to doing it,” added Major Key.

The guardsmen working in Flagstaff are from all over the state, but some know the Flagstaff community quite well.

"There are some who are from this area. (The National Guard.) That is what's beautiful about it. We are part of the community in which we serve,” added Major Key.

The governor's office also says the Arizona Department of Corrections also has people helping in Coconino County.

The main goal right now is to help fill sandbags, according to the governor, calling it an 'all-hands on deck' effort.

Ducey added that his office is working around the clock with local officials to get all the needed help to Coconino County as soon as possible.

Allen Clark, the Arizona Division of Emergency Management director added that they're in constant communication with local officials and are coordinating with Governor Ducey's office "to ensure residents up north are safe."

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