Arizona braces for rain, floods as remnants of Hurricane Odile hit

Residents in Southeastern Arizona braced for heavy rains and possible flooding Wednesday as remnants of Hurricane Odile began to sweep into the drought-plagued Southwest.

In Tucson, some residents stocked up on sandbags, two school districts announced the cancellation of after-school activities, and the University of Arizona officials warned students that campus could be closed and classes suspended.

Flash flood watches remain in effect for much of the region through Thursday with the National Weather Service urging residents to keep safe.

“Remember: NEVER attempt to drive through flooded roadways and low-water crossings. Turn Around; Don’t Drown!” the NWS Tucson Facebook page stated.

As of noon Wednesday, the storm had flooded a creek near the town of Pima and affected some homes in northwest Safford.

Thunderstorms with heavy rain are expected to hit over parts of the Southwest and the Southern Rockies through Thursday evening, the National Weather Service reported.

Intense rainfall will be concentrated across southern Arizona, southern New Mexico and western Texas where 3 to 6 inches could fall through Friday. Some areas could receive up to 9 inches.

Last week, record-breaking rainfall deluged parts of Arizona, prompting Gov. Jan Brewer to declare a state of emergency as floodwaters led to at least one death, turned portions of a Phoenix interstate into a deep canal and forced the closure of dozens of schools and the House of Representatives.

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