Governor tours flood area as Arizona sees 4 deaths in a week

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey on Friday toured a small community where recent flooding inundated homes and led to two deaths, part of a trail of destruction in the state unleashed by a fierce monsoon season.

The governor praised the resiliency of the people of Gila Bend, 50 miles (80 kilometers) southwest of Phoenix, and other hard-hit areas.

“We knew early on that there would be challenges that come from this monsoon season — but as I look around me, it’s tough to comprehend just how devastating it’s been,” Ducey said. “I want every resident of Gila Bend to know that we are with you, and we are going to overcome this.”

Two additional deaths were reported this week, and several people were rescued, after a torrential downpour sent rainwater and debris rushing through a wash near Scottsdale.

Flooding has occurred across the state this summer, with heavy damage in the northern Arizona city of Flagstaff, the mining communities of Miami and Globe, and the desert areas surrounding Tucson and Phoenix.

Wildfires that denuded mountain areas outside Flagstaff in recent years and near Globe this year made runoff much worse.

The National Weather Service says Tucson, in southern Arizona, has seen nearly 12 inches (30 centimeters) of rain this summer compared with an average of less than 6 inches (15 centimeters) from June through September.

Phoenix and other parts of the state have also seen a significant monsoon season, although not on par with Tucson.

The 2021 season follows near record-low summer rainfall across the Southwest in 2020.

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office said two people died Saturday in Gila Bend, which has a population of about 2,100, when heavy rains hit the area. One county flood control district rain gauge near Gila Bend measured 3.9 inches (9.9...