Guide
Monsoon flooding in Mesa: before and after the storm
Monsoon storms are short and heavy. A dry street can carry running water within minutes, and homes take on water at doorways, patios and roofs.
From NWS Phoenix
What the weather service says
June 15 to September 30
NWS Phoenix defines monsoon season by those dates, when its associated hazards are most likely.
Source: NWS Phoenix: Monsoon Awareness
Four hazards
Damaging winds, torrential rainfall, frequent lightning and dust storms. Dense blowing dust can drop highway visibility to a few hundred feet in seconds.
Source: NWS Phoenix: Monsoon Awareness
Flash floods and vehicles
The weather service says flash floods kill more people than any other thunderstorm hazard in Arizona, most of them in vehicles. One to two feet of water floats most cars and SUVs.
Source: NWS Phoenix: Monsoon Awareness
Downbursts
A downburst is a concentrated downdraft that spreads damaging wind at the ground, at 50 mph or more.
Source: NWS Phoenix: Monsoon Awareness
City of Mesa
Sand, bags and the storm drain system
Mesa's Transportation Department publishes a Monsoon Ready guide. It lists sand and empty bags at Fire Stations 202 (830 S. Stapley Dr.), 204 (1426 S. Extension Rd.), 205 (730 S. Greenfield Rd.), 209 (7035 E. Southern Ave.) and 212 (2430 E. Ellsworth Rd.), at the Transportation Department building (300 E. 6th St., west side) and at the East Mesa Service Center (3965 E. Decatur St.). Bring your own shovel.
The guide says to fill bags one-half to two-thirds full so they lie fairly flat; overfilled bags don't nestle together and leave gaps. Tying them isn't necessary. For sandbag questions, call 480-644-2160.
Transportation staff watch weather stations and water-level data during storms and maintain the city's storm drain system. Keep children out of retention basins and floodwater, which the city warns may carry harmful contaminants.
Before the season
Ten minutes of prevention
- Clear leaves and debris from roof drains, scuppers and canales.
- Check that patio drains and yard grading move water away from the house.
- Look at the seal around rooftop AC and cooler curbs after the first big wind.
- Know where your main water valve and electrical panel are.
- Move valuables off the floor of rooms that took water before.
- Photograph each room now, so you have a before picture.
County tools
Rain gauges and flood maps
A dense gauge network
The Flood Control District of Maricopa County maintains 321 precipitation gages and runs 38 real-time weather stations across the region. Its rainfall map shows provisional readings.
Source: Flood Control District of Maricopa County: Learn About
Flood insurance timing
The district reminds homeowners that standard homeowners policies typically don't cover flood damage and that a new flood policy takes 30 days to start.
Source: Flood Control District of Maricopa County: Flood Insurance
After the storm
If storm water got inside
Water that runs in from outside picks up dirt, fertiliser and whatever else was on the ground, so treat it as dirty water. Porous items it soaked, especially carpet pad, usually can't be saved.
Photograph the water line on the walls before cleaning, keep out of water near outlets, and get extraction started. Then check the bottom of the drywall and the baseboards in every room the water reached.
Questions
Monsoon questions
Is storm water coming under the door a flood claim?
Often, if it entered at ground level from outside. That is usually covered by flood insurance rather than homeowners insurance. Rain coming through wind or hail damage to the roof is treated differently. Ask your insurer.
What should I do if a street near me floods?
Don't drive into it or around barricades. The City of Mesa and NWS both stress that it takes only one or two feet of water to float most vehicles.
How do I report a downed power line?
Call 911 and stay away from it. Mesa electric customers can report an outage on 480-644-2266.
Water, smoke or mold in the house
Talk it through with a Mesa restoration contractor
A short call gets the facts in front of someone who does this work every week: where the water came from, which rooms it reached and how long things have been wet. You choose what happens next.
Water where it shouldn't be? Make the call.
The line connects you with an independent restoration contractor working in Mesa and nearby East Valley towns. Describe the damage, then decide whether to book.
Call (480) 863-0892Calls may be recorded. Read the referral disclosure and privacy policy.