TOLANI LAKE — Richard Monroe’s family spent three days digging their way out along N6720 in Tolani Lake, mostly by hand, after historic flooding Oct. 21-23, washed out the culvert that connects them to the main road. They were stranded for over a week. They had just rebuilt the culvert and made it out Saturday Oct. 31, when the rain came back Sunday.
Heavy rain swept across northern Arizona on Sunday, Nov. 1, bringing new flooding to Navajo and Hopi communities. In Flagstaff, city officials urged residents Sunday to stay home and avoid travel because of ongoing severe weather. Hopi schools closed Monday due to road flooding and Flagstaff schools went on a two-hour delay. The City of Flagstaff closed all administrative offices and non-essential facilities Monday as well so emergency responders and employees could focus on the flood response.
In Winslow school was canceled Monday, the Little Colorado River rose rapidly overnight. By 7 a.m., the river gauge at Winslow read 24.81 feet, nearly 6 feet above flood stage, and the National Weather Service in Flagstaff warned of life-threatening flash flooding. At 25 feet, the weather service said, the river overtops a levee, bringing major flooding…