Local
Flood rescues displace families across three Arizona tribal communities
Severe storms this week forced evacuations in Moenkopi, Dennehotso and Cibecue, while flood damage closed or compromised key roads. Tribal crews are assessing repairs, with no timeline yet for restoring Cibecue’s main route.
Severe storms and flash floods this week displaced families in three tribal communities across Arizona, damaged homes and roads, and triggered emergency response efforts on the Hopi, Navajo and White Mountain Apache reservations.
In Moenkopi, near Tuba City, the Hopi Tribe declared a state of emergency after floodwaters damaged homes and roads Thursday. At least eight families were displaced, and residents trapped in homes were rescued by helicopter. No injuries were reported. The displaced families were staying at the Legacy Hotel and had not been able to return home.
Ron Honyumptewa, the Hopi Tribe’s interim deputy director of natural resources, said water in Moenkopi Wash rose from 32 feet to nearly 37 feet. The last two people trapped in a home were rescued with help from the Arizona Department of Public Safety after responders determined a boat rescue was unsafe because of the fast-moving water.
In Dennehotso, a Navajo community along State Route 160 in the Four Corners region, authorities rescued 30 people from seven families Thursday afternoon. The Navajo Department of Emergency Management sent an all-terrain SHERP vehicle, and Navajo police video showed the vehicle moving through flooded areas to reach residents. Navajo fire, emergency medical and transportation services, Arizona DPS and the Kayenta Fire Department also assisted.
On the White Mountain Apache Reservation, about 50 people were evacuated from areas along Cibecue Creek after the water rose to bridge level. Flooding washed out part of Cibecue’s main loop road, leaving a roughly 10-by-10-foot sinkhole that blocked traffic. The road is a key route for residents traveling to work, buying groceries and getting in and out of the community.
Families living along the creek were taken to Cibecue Elementary School; about four families stayed there overnight. Crews were assessing damage Friday, but officials had not set a repair timeline. Justin Cromwell of Tribal Forestry, who was surveying damage with the Emergency Operations Center, described the washout as one of the worst he had seen. Water spilled over the road near homes, he said.
The flooding was part of a broader week of severe weather across Arizona that also brought suspected tornado damage in Heber-Overgaard, hail and power outages in the Phoenix area, and flooding and rockslides in Clifton. Tribal leaders said the damage to roads and homes will require continued assessment and recovery support.