Evacuations underway in Black Canyon City as Agua Fria River rises

Residents of the Rivers Edge RV Park in Black Canyon City and other nearby low-lying areas were allowed to return to their homes after an order to evacuate was issued on Wednesday morning due to flooding as the nearby Agua Fria River continues to rise.

In the days since a storm began adding precipitation to already increased snowmelt overnight Monday, residents in multiple areas south of the Mogollon Rim have been ordered to evacuate due to rising water levels.

Just before 1 p.m., most evacuated areas were reduced to SET status, which means residents can remain in their homes, but should evacuate immediately once a GO status is given.

More flooding news:River flooding forces evacuations near Sedona, Camp Verde

A 'matter of minutes' for evacuations in northern Arizona

Early Wednesday morning, residents in both Sedona and Cottonwood were ordered to evacuate because of increased flows in Oak Creek and the Verde River, respectively.

Residents of Camp Verde’s Wagon Wheel Trailer Ranch described a frantic scene as water levels rose, eventually flooding the lot on Wednesday morning.

“It went from zero to maybe four feet in a matter of five minutes,” said resident Victoria Louis.

The evacuation was so frantic, in fact, that many trailers were pulled out while still propped up on their jacks and connected to sewer and water lines, further complicating their plans to return. The park sits at the confluence of Beaver Creek and the Verde River, putting it in a particularly dangerous spot when flows reach this level.

Sue Kusar recently moved to Wagon Wheel after living elsewhere in the Verde Valley for two decades. She described the urgency with which she had to evacuate Wednesday morning.

“My oatmeal is still in the microwave,” she said. “It was a matter of minutes.”

Water had just made it inside, as Kusar’s was one of the last trailers to be pulled from the lot while water levels passed 4 feet, covering patio tables and carrying away submerged flower beds.

“Last week, it went down, so you just think it’s going to go down again,” she said.

Her neighbor, Laura Carris, was not as lucky. Her trailer was one of two homes unable to be pulled out and remained in the now-flooded lot.

Carris worried about her two cats, both still inside her home, and other things they were forced to leave behind in the scramble to leave ― namely the portable oxygen tanks that her partner needs to survive.

“Everybody was just scrambling trying to get out of here,” Carris said.

As the water started to recede, a group of neighbors used an inflatable canoe to transport Carris back to her home to retrieve the tanks and any medicine they needed.

With intense flows expected to continue into next week, Wagon Wheel residents are trying to figure out their long-term plans if their usual lot is uninhabitable. As many of them surveyed the damage, Kitha Reeves, a local landowner, offered space on her farm on Fort Apache Road to any displaced trailers. There, she said, they should be high enough to avoid any more flooding.

“If it floods our place, then Camp Verde is really in trouble,” Reeves said.

Is this typical rainfall?

"This is not typical flooding for Camp Verde, although not unheard of," said Gayle Mabery, Camp Verde's interim town manager.

With an increase in snowmelt starting last week, the Verde River has already seen significantly increased flows with even more water likely on the horizon.

"Last week’s flooding ranked in the top 10 flood events on record here on the Verde River in Camp Verde," Mabery said in an email Tuesday night. "Current projections are that we will have higher flows tonight/tomorrow than we did last week on river itself, and on the tributaries that flow into the river near Camp Verde (Oak Creek, Wet Beaver Creek, Dry Beaver Creek and West Clear Creek)."

An emergency evacuation center was set up at the Camp Verde Town Gym at 395 S. Main St. in Camp Verde for the second time in as many weeks.

David Curtis, a volunteer with the American Red Cross, was at the empty shelter Wednesday afternoon ready to welcome anyone forced to evacuate like the five families who stayed in the shelter Tuesday night and the handful they helped during last week's flooding.

"We typically get some type of flooding every three or four years," Curtis said, but he's never seen this volume of water at once in the 12 years he's lived in Camp Verde. Some of the more longtime residents have been comparing this event with the historic 1993 Verde River flood that devastated a 26-mile stretch from Camp Verde to Clarkdale, he said.

These evacuations come after Rimrock and Lake Montezuma residents along Wet Beaver Creek were ordered to evacuate Tuesday afternoon. Prescott residents on Granite Creek and in Granite Gardens were advised to be prepared to evacuate if needed.

Residents near Oak Creek can bring a shovel to fill sandbags at various locations throughout Sedona, including the city lot adjacent to Sedona Red Rock High School and Sedona United Methodist Church on SR 179.

For general flood and evacuation questions, call 928-442-5103.

How do I stay safe during storms and flooding?

Coconino County officials offered the following tips online and advised residents to prepare for approaching storms and potential flooding threats. They further recommended that residents sign up for emergency alerts and remember to stay in READY status for potential emergencies.

• Protect your property from floodwaters and purchase flood insurance.

• Plan for sheltering where you are and for evacuation.

• Evacuate if advised.

• Seek high ground (flash floods) or stay on high ground.

• Avoid walking or driving in floodwaters.

• Depth and velocity are not always obvious; the ground or road may suddenly wash away and hidden dangers may exist; do not attempt to evacuate through flood waters.

• Know how to avoid injury from debris, contaminated water, carbon monoxide poisoning, electrocution, and damaged buildings and infrastructure.

• Seek professional review or inspection of structures and utilities before entering buildings that are flooded.

Contact northern Arizona reporter Lacey Latch at LLatch@gannett.com or on social media @laceylatch.

Coverage of northern Arizona on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is funded by the nonprofit Report for America and a grant from the Vitalyst Health Foundation in association with The Arizona Republic.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Black Canyon City residents evacuated due to Agua Fria River flooding