Mesa Storms Turn Streets Into Rivers, Spark Multiple Water Rescues
Marcus Whitfield
MESA, AZ (AZFamily) — Storms kept first responders busy Wednesday as drivers drove onto flooded roads and got stuck, prompting water rescues across the East Valley.
In Mesa, near 64th Street and McKellips, rushing floodwaters swept down the streets, leaving thick mud and debris behind. A neighbor captured video showing six to seven inches of floodwater roaring through roads and alleys.
Janet Coen, who lives on the street, said the water flooded the area in front of her house.
"The street was water to water, curb to curb right there, and it was coming out of the alley and running off my property. Everywhere. I mean, I've never seen it like this, and I've lived here 35 years; it was crazy," Coen said.
Emergency teams also rushed to Power and Hermosa Vista, pulling stranded drivers from three cars swallowed by rushing water. Nobody was hurt, but the flooding caught many in Mesa off guard.
The close calls were not limited to Mesa. In Scottsdale, water levels climbed to nearly two feet near the 101 and Raintree, swamping several vehicles. State troopers deployed four-wheel-drive vehicles to push through the current and move the stalled cars to dry ground.