Flooding Prompts Emergency Declaration in Prescott and Rescues Across Yavapai County

Prescott remained under a state of emergency on November 1 after historic rainfall brought flooding and severe weather to the area. While flooding in the city was less severe than elsewhere in Yavapai County, water levels along local waterways were still high. Business owners near Granite Creek watched the rising water as it spilled over the banks and flowed down Granite Street.

At the LazyG Brewhouse, owner Jim Bellington said the water did not enter the restaurant. He described the creek as roughly 6 to 7 feet above its usual level and said water had reached the roadway. Long-time residents also reported seeing waterways rise to heights they had not seen in decades.

In Cornville, county officers and state public-safety troopers secured ropes to trees to navigate powerful currents and reach people trapped in flooded homes. After rescuing a woman, crews learned a man was still inside. They reached him and used a kayak to transport him from the inundated zone.

The American Red Cross set up shelters throughout Yavapai County, offering meals and other resources to people displaced by the flooding. Volunteer David Leinweber said one family from Ash Fork had stayed at a shelter, and that shelters would remain open for people who still needed help after being unable to leave their homes earlier.

Floodwaters were receding, but continued to pose a threat to communities near waterways, including creeks, rivers and streams that run southward from northern Arizona.