Post by trueblue on Aug 23, 2022 16:49:29 GMT
The town of Duncan in southeastern Arizona is under "mass evacuation" after the Gila River overflowed on Monday, reaching a "major flood stage" which prompted authorities to order residents to abandon their homes and seek safety.
The flooding of the river—a 649-mile long tributary to the Colorado River flowing through New Mexico and Arizona—was caused by heavy monsoon rainfall and storms on August 22.
The flooding of the river—a 649-mile long tributary to the Colorado River flowing through New Mexico and Arizona—was caused by heavy monsoon rainfall and storms on August 22.
"At approximately 4:30 this morning the water levels of the Gila River reached a point where water began to spill into portions of Duncan," the Duncan Valley Rural Fire District wrote on Facebook. "Currently the water level at the bridge is 22.27', which is classified as a major flood stage."
Already on Sunday night, the Gila River had crested a record 30.28 feet in New Mexico's Virden—a town 7 miles east of Duncan—according to the National Weather Service (NWS).