Around 100 residents and tourists evacuated homes and hotels after flash floods in a resort town near the Grand Canyon National Park.
The National Weather Service in Flagstaff, Arizona, warned on 21 August that the remnants of Tropical Storm Hilary “will continue to bring moisture into northern Arizona. Greatest coverage for showers/thunderstorms will be over Coconino County and Yavapai County.”
Hilary previously caused severe flooding in areas of western Mexico and then Southern California.
On 22 August heavy rainfall caused flooding in the resort town of Tusayan in Coconino County, northern Arizona, situated near the south entrance to Grand Canyon National Park.
The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office said flooding impacted hotels and residential housing and “over 100 residents and guests were displaced and relocated to wait out the flooding.” The U.S. Highway 64 was closed after flood water reached levels of three feet / 90 cm deep.
Around 70 students from the Grand Canyon Unified School District were told to remain in place and shelter on school property. The students were later returned home to their families once the danger had passed, the Sheriff’s Office said.
“No injuries have been reported at this time and Highway 64 has been cleared and is safe to travel at this time with limited access,” they added.
In a Preliminary Local Storm Report, the National Weather Service at Flagstaff AZ said that “about 1 to 2.5 inches (25.4 mm to 63.5 mm) of rain fell in about 2 hours flooding homes, buildings and destroying cars.
