Monsoon storm damage: Power outages close metro Phoenix schools; SR 88 closed due to storms
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Three schools in Peoria Unified School District were closed Friday after a power outage impacted the area between 75th and 91st avenues and Cactus Road and Olive Avenue.
"School is canceled today at Peoria High School, Peoria Flex Academy and the MET Professional Academy," said the Peoria Unified School District in a statement.
Cheyenne Elementary School was also closed, while Alta Loma Elementary School and Peoria Elementary School started late.
The campuses do not have air conditioning, lighting or safe access to the school parking lot or buildings. Bus routes were also canceled and teachers were unable to report to campus to pick up "supplies necessary to hold school remotely."
There are at least six power outages that impacted more than 3,000 households in metro Phoenix, according to Arizona Public Service.
Schools in the Deer Valley Unified School District are unable to email or make and receive phone calls due to damage to the district's IT System at all campuses, the district tweeted. Schools remain open while crews work to repair the systems.
The Peoria Main Library was without power but other facilities were available for Peoria residents, including Peoria Community Center, Rio Vista Recreation Center and Sunrise Mountain Library, according to Peoria officials.
Multiple roads were also closed in the area because of storm damage and downed power lines.
According to Peoria Police Department, the following areas were closed as of early Friday morning:
83rd Avenue and Cactus Road intersection in all directions.
91st Avenue from Peoria to Grand Avenue.
Cactus Road from 83rd to 91st Avenue.
79th Avenue from Cactus Road to Peoria Avenue.
79th Avenue and Columbine Road.
More rain expected in metro Phoenix
Rainfall overnight in the Valley ranged from less than an inch to 1.22 inches recorded at Paradise Lane and 47th Avenue, according to 24-hour rainfall totals tabulated by the Flood Control District of Maricopa County.
In a tweet on Friday, the National Weather Service in Phoenix said that isolated showers are slowly drifting southwestward across central Arizona while "more significant development" is anticipated later in the day.
More: Weekend forecast indicates heavy rainfall through Sunday
The weekend forecast looks much like Friday, with more rain. According to the weather service, monsoon moisture will gradually increase and peak on Friday through Sunday, when heavy rain and localized flooding chances will be the highest.
"This weekend looks to be one of our better setups of the monsoon season so far, many areas across the state could be looking at really heavy rainfall amounts," Isaac Smith, a meteorologist with the weather service in Phoenix told The Republic Thursday. "Our chances for thunderstorms this weekend climb to around 80%."
In anticipation for heavy, road-damaging storms, the Arizona Department of Transportation closed down State Route 88 between Roosevelt Dam and Apache Lake Marina around noon Friday, according to an ADOT press release. ADOT said the closure would likely last through Monday.
West of the turnoff toward Apache Lake Marina, SR 88 has been closed since 2020 because of flood damage caused by the Woodbury Fire burn scar. Now, S.R. 88 will be closed east of the turnoff nearly all the way to the junction with State Route 188.
ADOT said they would continue evaluating the road's condition alongside the U.S. Forest Service and would reopen it when it is safe.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Reach breaking news reporter Haleigh Kochanski at hkochanski@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @HaleighKochans.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Metro Phoenix monsoon storm damage: 3 schools closed due to power loss
