Major Storm Damage In New River, Black Canyon City

By Stina Sieg
Published: Wednesday, August 20, 2014 - 5:40pm
Stina Sieg/KJZZ
Flooded area in New River, Ariz.

It’s pretty much business as usual around Phoenix after a monsoon led to flooding Tuesday, but north of the Valley many locals are still dealing with extensive damage.

Driving north on Interstate 17, it’s hard to see any of the damage the monsoon caused, but exit at the town of New River and you get a different story. A wash that’s normally dry is still running with water and filled with trees and other debris. Jim Spain has lived here 40 years and said he’s never seen anything like this. His home is high above the water, so he said he wasn’t scared during the storm.

"But it was, I was concerned about my neighbors, because I could see how wide the river was running and how deep it was running," Spain said. "I don’t know whether anybody lost their houses or not, because I can’t get through there."

And Spain still can’t take the normal route to his house as the road is washed away in spots. Two people had to be rescued from their homes in New River on Tuesday. Farther north in Black Canyon City, a trailer park had to be evacuated.