The flooding began Sunday, Nov. 1, when Beaver Creek overflowed, forcing widespread evacuations and damaging or gutting hundreds of homes. Some structures were carried downriver, leaving many residents without a place to stay.

As night fell that first evening, Camp Verde marshals went door to door to reach people still trapped inside their homes. Sgt. Dustin Richardson of the Camp Verde Marshal's Office described crews breaking windows and kicking in doors to reach residents in houses that had been knocked onto their sides.

The water later rose more than 20 feet and overflowed its banks a second time. Richardson said he was surprised the disaster produced no fatalities.

Since the water receded, law enforcement has been documenting damage block by block. Richardson said the effort has stretched an agency of just under 30 sworn deputies, with only four or five available for the work at any given time.

"We've been going door to door, neighborhood to neighborhood to the affected areas and documenting all the damage," he said.

Interim Town Manager Charlie Cassens said the cost of responding to the flood quickly exceeded what the town had available. "Our ability to respond to this incident, our budgetary ability to do it, was exceeded almost immediately because our budget is extremely tight," he said.

Yavapai County and Gov. Katie Hobbs have issued emergency proclamations to free up disaster funding, but it remains unclear when that money might reach Camp Verde. A federal disaster declaration — which requires a request from the governor and approval from the president — could unlock additional assistance.

In the meantime, Cassens said the town is keeping detailed records in hopes of recovering some of its extraordinary expenses. "We are keeping very close records so that if there are opportunities in the future to be reimbursed for some of these extraordinary expenses," he said.

For residents, insurance is a separate and pressing worry. Standard homeowners policies generally do not cover flood damage, and flood coverage depends on the individual policy, with protection for personal belongings often sold separately from coverage for the building itself.

The scale of the damage — hundreds of homes affected, some swept away entirely — means many families are navigating recovery without the safety net they might expect. Town and county officials have not yet put a dollar figure on the total losses.

As cleanup continues, the coming weeks will hinge on how quickly emergency money arrives and whether federal aid is approved. For now, Camp Verde is leaning on its small law enforcement staff, tight municipal budget and the patience of residents waiting to learn what comes next.