Flood warnings issued for Maricopa and Gila counties

Ellie Willard, Arizona Republic
·1 min read
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Water flows into the Verde River below Bartlett Dam in this photo from 2010. Salt River Project is studying a plan to raise the height of the dam to increase water storage.

The National Weather Service issued flood warnings on Sunday afternoon for Maricopa and Gila counties.

The flood warning issued for Maricopa County is set to last until 2 p.m. Thursday and is due to continued upstream releases from Granite Reef Dam. Flooding will impact unbridged crossings such as McKellips Road across the Salt River upstream of Tempe Town Lake, according to the weather service.

The flood warning issued for Gila County is set to last until noon Monday and is due to continued rain and snowmelt. Flooding will impact Tonto Creek through Tonto Basin and unbridged crossings will not be safe to pass, according to the weather service. These include A Crossing, Bar X Crossing, Greenback Crossing and Store Crossing.

The National Weather Service said most flood deaths occur in vehicles and recommend turning around if attempting to cross a flooded roadway.

These warnings may extend beyond the current expiration times.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Flood warnings issued for Maricopa and Gila counties in Arizona