The most flooding and damage occurred in South Phoenix and Ahwatukee, but areas near downtown Phoenix also experienced flooding. The area near Jackson Street and Seventh Avenue received 2.60 inches of rain between Sunday night and Monday night, according to the Flood Control District of Maricopa County.
There was also localized flooding between Buckeye and Lower Buckeye roads south of downtown, according to Kevin Kalkbrenner, the director of homeland security and emergency management for the city. Kalkbrenner and other city officials, including Mayor Greg Stanton and city council members, held press conferences Monday in Phoenix.
Several downtown establishments were forced to close or modify their schedules because of the storm. Phoenix Union High School District, which includes downtown’s Bioscience High School, canceled classes for all 16 of its campuses after lunch, according to a statement from the district.
The University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix on Van Buren and Seventh streets canceled classes for the day because of the storm, and the Children’s Museum of Phoenix’s atrium, located in the same intersection, will be closed Tuesday because of flooding. ASU’s Downtown Phoenix Campus did not have any class cancellations.
While there was flooding around the downtown Phoenix area, Seventh Street and Seventh Avenue held up well against the storm and were the main roadways the city was able to maintain and use for transit during and after the storm, Kalkbrenner said. He added that the roads were able to be maintained because they are old, established roads without washes that can flood.
Kalkbrenner said city officials met Thursday night and anticipated the storm, although they did not know when it would hit. He said he believed the city was well-prepared for the storm when it hit around 3 a.m. Monday. Rescue crews and public-safety officers were closing roads and rescuing stranded or trapped people by 5:30 a.m.
“I would have to give us an ‘A’ on this one,” Kalkbrenner said. “You can’t stop Mother Nature, to some extent, but you can be prepared.”
District 8 councilwoman Kate Gallego said that, like many other Phoenix residents, the storm woke her up during the night. However, Gallego noted the disruption in the night prevented further damage.
“The only good thing about it waking some people up is some neighbors went out and started shoveling and it prevented some damage,” she said.
Mayor Greg Stanton said at the press conference Monday that the city was still assessing the damages sustained from the storm. He assured the community that relief services were available for citizens and said the city was partnering with organizations, such as the American Red Cross, to aid in relief efforts.
“We are a city with a big, big heart,” he said.
Contact the reporter at kuntharasp@gmail.com
