The town of Globe, Arizona, is grappling with the aftermath of destructive flooding that claimed three lives and has prompted ongoing recovery efforts, as the threat of additional heavy rains looms. According to FOX 10 Phoenix, the floods, stemming from a tropical storm on September 26, damaged dozens of buildings and obliterated several homes, prompting a visit from Governor Katie Hobbs, who has pledged state assistance.
While some Globe residents expressed gratitude for the initial wave of volunteers, there's growing concern about the diminishing outside help "the streets are empty compared to what it was like last weekend and we did have a lot of volunteers that helped out and we're appreciative of that, but it seems to just be neighbors helping neighbors at this point," David Berrey, a local business owner, told FOX 10 Phoenix. Despite cleanup efforts, saturation from previous rains could exacerbate the impact of new rainfall predicted by the National Weather Service.
Over in Globe, tactics to mitigate potential disaster ahead of the new rainfall are underway with the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM) cutting woody materials in canyons to improve water flow, as detailed in their latest report. The department, having taken control of recovery operations, announced substantial progress, including the recovery of 66 floodwater-swept vehicles and the retrieval of 800 dislodged propane tanks from a distribution facility, as outlined in a KTAR News article.
"The amount of work put in by resources over the last week is truly remarkable," said John Truett, DFFM's IMT commander, in a statement to KTAR News, ahead of transitioning operations back to local officials, Globe Mayor Al Gameros noted that the city was looking "100 times better" attributing this to the more than 3,000 volunteers who aided with Monday's clean-up, in stark contrast to reports of recovering businesses still grappling with debris and infrastructure damage that persist in preventing their reopening.
With the predicted precipitation, residents and officials in Globe are braced for yet another potential battle with the elements, as sediment and residual debris remain a concern. "There's still a whole bunch of cleanup to do and this is their livelihood and so they need the assistance sooner rather than later," Gov. Hobbs emphasized during her tour of the affected areas. For those willing to offer help, a United Fund has been established for the Globe and Miami communities, providing a channel for much-needed support as they prepare for the next bout of potentially damaging weather.
