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Heavy rain creates big mess in Apache Junction
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This vehicle in Apache Junction was swept away from storm flood waters.
Tony D'Astoli, Tribune
Apache Junction fire Battalion Chief Dave Montgomery called the aftermath of Wednesday morning’s monsoon storms “a nightmare.”
SLIDESHOW: View storm damage pictures
“There’s flooding all over,” Montgomery said. “Tons of roads are closed, including some residential streets. There’s too many to name. We got a ton of rain in a short time. The washes were already saturated and this just made things worse.”
Montgomery said firefighters responded to a pair of calls with vehicles being carried away by swift currents. Both were self-rescues, including three people being able to get out of a vehicle and climb onto its roof at 28th Avenue and Geronimo Road.
According to the National Weather Service in Phoenix, Apache Junction received from .50 of an inch at most reporting stations to 1.02 inches at a station near Apache Trail and Idaho Road from about 4:30 a.m. to 7 a.m.
Mesa and Queen Creek were also hit. The weather service reported 1.10 inches of rain fell from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. at Brown and Horne roads in Mesa. Queen Creek got .47 of an inch at Rittenhouse and Ocotillo roads from 6:30 a.m. to 8 a.m.
At 5:08 a.m. the National Weather Service doppler radar detected rain falling at the rate of 1 to 2 inches per hour along the Apache Trail between Apache Junction and Roosevelt Lake. The National Weather Service issued a flood advisory for extreme east central Maricopa County that lasted until 7:15 a.m.
Jaret Rogers of the National Weather Service said it’s likely that Wednesday’s monsoon was enhanced by Tropical Storm Julio. Rogers said more rain is expected Wednesday, with a 20 percent chance heading into Thursday. He said after one or two relatively dry days, a new storm will likely head in by the weekend.
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