PHOENIX — Maricopa County has declared a local emergency for its unincorporated areas after a three-day storm flooded parts of the county, according to a release from Maricopa County.
The declaration was issued Monday, Nov. 2, by Board of Supervisors Chair Kate Brophy McGee on behalf of the board, as state law requires. It covers damage from the storm that hit from Oct. 30 through Nov. 1.
According to the county, rainfall ranged from 1 to 4 inches across the lower desert, including the greater Phoenix area. Foothills and higher areas in the northern and eastern parts of the county received up to 8 inches.
“There are communities and residents that are hurting, and I am hopeful this Emergency Declaration will help facilitate necessary resources for assistance,” Brophy McGee said in the release. She also thanked first responders and residents who helped their neighbors.
The county also asked the state of Arizona to include Maricopa County in the statewide emergency declaration issued Monday afternoon. Gov. Katie Hobbs declared a state of emergency for areas hit by storms and flash flooding, releasing $200,000 in emergency funding for local communities, ABC15 reported.
During the storm, the county’s Flood Control District, Department of Transportation, Department of Emergency Management and Sheriff’s Office coordinated search-and-rescue operations, road closures and public safety alerts. The county also activated its Emergency Operations Center.
Officials said they will keep watching water releases from local dams and waterways. Residents are urged to obey posted road closures, use caution around flooded roads and washes, and stay out of moving water.
Sources: Maricopa County news release, ABC15. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: NASA Earth Observatory images by Wanmei Liang, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worl / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
