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Highway 89 was closed in both directions Thursday afternoon because of flooding in the area.
3:30 p.m. update: Skeet Drive at Silver Saddle is closed due to "flooding at the head of the road," said reporter Sierra Ferguson.
She also reported that North Fork Road appeared to have vanished under a mound of reddish brown mud and debris, its sign sticking up as a lone reminder that the pavement was buried underneath. Provider Road was inaccessible due to standing water. Between houses and highway, flood waters rushed in the road ditch having already burst through stretches of chain link fence.
Where Highway 89 meets Government Tank Road, a bulldozer worked to keep the h ighway clear and safe for motorists. At the Chevron on Highway 89 and Campbell Avenue, Jay Patel was scooping mud away from the store and looking in awe at the water barreling by the gas station. Patel had been at work since seven that morning and was surprised when a coworker mentioned she couldn’t get to work because of a road block. “What happened?" he recalled asking. "Was it an accident? Then I came outside, and I see like a river flowing through the road. So I told her, ‘Okay you better go home. I don’t think they’ll let you pass through here.’”
Luckily for the business, the pumps and store were safe, with most of the water traveling to the building’s south and East.
2:40 p.m. update: Tomorrow is expected to be another "very active day" of monsoons and potential flash flooding, said National Weather Service meterologist Brian Klimowski. While higher winds can cause storms to concentrate on one side of the Peaks or another, light winds similar to today's are likely to produce "slow-moving storms" on Friday.
"When we have slow-moving storms, there's more opportunity for heavy rain to accumulate and cause the flash flooding," Klimowski explained. "The Peaks will be a source of initiation for thunderstorms."
Through the weekend and into early next week, monsoon activity is anticipated to be "low to moderate."
2:30 p.m. update: In Johnson Ranch, neighbors came together to protect each other’s homes, according to reporter Sierra Ferguson.
“Everybody’s teaming up,” Johnson Ranch resident Brandon Clark explained.
He had a shovel in hand mud streamed down his face under a blue baseball cap. Just over his shoulder, his wife and kids scooped debris and mud out front of their garage, working to mitigate the storm’s damage.
“We kind of saw it coming.” Clark said. “One of the neighbors came by and helped us to move some more sand bags in front of the garage. We just had good people around. Good neighbors. The neighbor across the street got a dozer and helped dig out a neighbor over there, push some of the water, and re-route the drainage away from his house. He did the same thing over here for me.”
2 p.m. update: Reporter Sierra Ferguson spoke to county officials at Johnson Ranch Road who confirmed Highway 89 had reopened to traffic. According to Ferguson, the highway had "mud, bits of pine branches and bark," left where floodwaters crossed the road. Traffic was reportedly moving "slowly but steadily."
1:16 p.m. update: The National Weather Service extended the flash flood warning across the Pipeline Fire burn scar until 3:30 p.m. Residual flooding and debris flow is expected through Government Tank wash.
1:06 p.m. update: Flash flood warnings continue downstream of the Pipeline Fire burn scar. The National Weather Service reported that flood waters on the west side of the Pipeline Fire burn scar are "staying within the channels of the Schultz Creek drainage at this time."
1:03 p.m. update: Reporter Sierra Ferguson described the scene near the closure of Highway 89:
The intersection of Highway 89 and Silver Saddle Road is backed with traffic up as far as the eye can see. ADOT has put up road blocks just beyond the traffic light, at the edge of the Silver Saddle Center gas station.
Crews on scene were setting up cones and talking with concerned families, some of whom live only miles up the highway. One crew member told the Arizona Daily Sun that the closure will remain in place until crews can clean up the road way. Several pieces of heavy equipment, including two blades and a front loader are further up Highway 89, assisting crews to make the roadway safe for traffic.
Jennifer Brawley, a mother of five who took her children to the park this morning, expressed frustration for the people stuck in traffic.
“No one told them why they were stopped, or for how long," Brawley said. She was trying to get to her house on Campbell Ave.
“They’re telling us that it’s going to be until 4:00 pm before we can get home. That’s 3 hours. I have five kids in the car, so we’re probably going to go to a friend’s house to wait it out," she said. Luckily, she’s not concerned about her home flooding, but she is eager to get back to it.
Outside the gas station people drifted in and out of their cars in the light rain. One couple had kayaks strapped to the top of their car. They were on their way to a family house boating trip in Page, a trip that now might be cancelled.
12:49 p.m. update: National Weather Service reported floodwaters 8 inches deep over Highway 89 with mud and debris present.
12:30 p.m.: Highway 89 has been closed in both directions near Flagstaff, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. The closure is due to flooding at milepost 424 near Johnson Ranch Road. Motorists should expect delays and seek an alternate route. There is no estimated time to reopen the highway.
12:05 p.m.: White layers of hail could be seen covering Doyle Peak and other parts of the San Francisco peaks beneath the passing storm.
Highway 89 has been closed to northbound traffic at Swede Acres.
Homes in Swede Acres and Timberline, and North Fork Road reportedly began experiencing flooding.
11:41 a.m.: The National Weather Service issued a flood advisory for areas near the base of Arizona Snowbowl, the Fort Valley neighborhood, Bellemont, A1 Mountain, Wing Mountain, Humphrey's and Aggasiz peak effective until 1:45 p.m. Deadman Wash and Volunteer Wash are expected to be impacted, as well as Highway 180 between mile markers 222 and 231, and Interstate 40 between mile markers 184 and 191. The NWS warned travelers to expect "flooding over low-water crossing, ponding of water on interstates, highways, and in urban areas" that will create hazardous travel conditions.
11:25 a.m.: The National Weather Service reported thunderstorms over the Pipeline Fire burn scar with "6 inches of water flowing along U.S. Highway 89 northeast of Flagstaff with debris also across the roadway." NWS rain gauges suggested up to 2 inches of rain had fallen and "flash flooding is already occurring."
Debris flow is expected through Government Tank wash. Debris flow may consist of rock, mud, vegetation, and other loose material.
San Francisco Wash and Schultz Creek are also expected to be impacted
11:15 a.m.: A JE Fuller Rain Gauge on Waterline Road registered .87 inches of rain that had fallen on the Government Tank Watershed. The county has deemed this watershed to be a particular hazard following the Pipeline Fire.
10:43 a.m.: Doppler radar and automated rain gauges indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain over the Pipline Burn Scar. Rain guages in the area have indicated just under 3/4 of an inch of rainfall in 15 minutes. The National Weather Service warned that "this will result in debris flow, specifically down the Government Tank Wash. Avoid the area."
Original 10:30 a.m. post: Significant monsoonal rain in the forecast caused the National Weather Service to issue flash flood warning for portions of Coconino County, including the areas of Timberline, Pine Mountain Estates, Hutchinson Acres, Macann Estates, Government Tank Wash, Little Elden Springs Horse Camp, and Highway 89 between mile markers 423 and 427. This warning is predicted to remain in effect until 1:30 p.m. People in the area are reminded to not cross flooded roads and to avoid dry washes, slot canyons and creeks as these can become "raging killer currents in a matter of minutes, even from distant rainfall."
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Sean Golightly reports on the environment and the city of Flagstaff. Reach him at sgolightly@azdailysun.com, on Twitter at @sean_golightly, or on Instagram at @golightly_writes.
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Highway 89 was closed in both directions Thursday afternoon because of flooding in the area.
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