Flash Flooding After the Goodwin Fire

Well I hope this post doesn’t bore you but I thought I’d let you see some photos and video footage of flash flooding in Arizona. The volume of water in this particular flash flood is specifically due to the Goodwin Fire.

In Arizona, because of the scarcity of rain we love our monsoon season with its thunderstorms and the moisture it brings that waters the earth and greens everything up for a season. It brings the temperatures down and just feels so refreshing.

Wednesday we had an epic monsoon storm. Without much warning (no sprinkling at all), the sky just let loose and didn’t stop for about 30 minutes. Since the fire burned all the vegetation on the mountain ranges around here, the water just flowed. No vegetation to hold the water and to disperse it, so the rain water could only run down the mountainsides.

Our creeks were all raging furiously.

This creek crossing is near our home but even though there were culverts in the wash, the water flow was too great for them.

The same creek crossing as pictured above.

At this same time, my cousins were here for a visit for the afternoon from Tennessee. My cousin is a truck hauler so he was on a job here in Arizona.  I think they got more than they bargained for when they came to visit! They brought their 22,000 pound semi truck up to the house and seeing the rain was coming, they were preparing to leave but then the skies opened up and it was too late.

We cross this creek bed every day when we leave or come home.

Wesley was on his way home when the storm hit. He was able to cross over the first part of Big Bug creek in his truck but the second one he couldn’t. After parking his truck on high ground, he waited for the water to reside just a bit, then placed a small tree over a narrow area and traversed the creek.

A flash flood happens very quickly but give it about an hour and the water will have completely stopped flowing. The water hits hard and fast and then is gone. This is the main creek crossing near the highway.

This video shows just how wide the flash flood was at Grapevine Creek. We didn’t see it at its peak but only after it had resided quite a bit. We don’t have to cross this creek to reach our home.

Notice the bushes burnt and dead sticks laying over. That is a result of the flash flood coming through and laying them down.

Audrey didn’t waste any time walking in the mud/silt that was up to her knees. All soil that had been washed down because of the fire and no vegetation to hold it.

This video shows the tremendous amount of water that was flowing through Grapevine Creek. It was incredible.

Late that night my husband had to start repairs on the main creek crossing. The flash flood had washed a 3′ gully, making it impassable. After about 5 hours of work, the road was ready to be driven on. My cousins were able to drive their semi truck across with no damage. Whew!

It was quite a gathering down there at the creek. Russell, my son and cousin were all down there with a truck, semi & tractor. I arrived with my cousin’s wife. Our neighbor, who owns a gravel pit had sent a worker over with his big front loader to fix the creek crossing – not knowing we were already working on it – and then our neighbor showed up on his quad. Grand Central Station, I tell you! 🙂

Had a great visit with my cousins but after all the excitement they had, I hope they still want to visit us in the future! haha

What’s posted at the entrance to our road.

And lastly, this made me happy when I saw this deer in our valley after the recent Goodwin Fire.

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