By Jon Johnson
GRAHAM COUNTY — A severe monsoon thunderstorm swept across the Gila Valley on Wednesday evening, leaving a trail of uprooted trees, dented trampolines, damaged roofs, fallen fences, and widespread power outages in its wake.
The storm rolled into the area around 6:20 p.m., bringing ferocious winds and hail that dealt the heaviest blow to the town of Pima and parts of Central and south Safford. According to the University of Arizona Meteorological Summary, the Gila Valley recorded 0.7 inches of rain during the tempest, with wind gusts up to 69 mph.
Pima Hit Hardest by Wind, Hail, and Infrastructure Damage
Pima bore the brunt of the storm’s intensity. Heavy winds ripped roofs off homes, rolled over RVs, snapped large tree limbs, uprooted trees throughout the town, and sent the visitor’s bleachers careening onto the track at Pima High School’s new football field. The school saw additional damage to track and field and baseball equipment and reportedly had roof damage with leaking classrooms – according to students.
Power was knocked out across multiple neighborhoods, with western Pima experiencing the most severe disruption. Residents there endured a 10-hour blackout overnight before power was successfully restored at 4:30 a.m. Thursday.
Town Manager Vernon Batty reported that Pima’s sewer system took the worst of the infrastructure damage, and said municipal crews have been working around the clock to execute rapid repairs.
To assist residents with clean-up efforts, Batty said that residents living within town limits may haul storm debris to the curb or edge of their property for collection, which will begin on Monday. Residents may also bring any organic storm damage to the town’s burn site near the Pima Cemetery.
The Town of Pima issued the following statement to the community:
“Hope everyone is safe and surviving the storm damage we encountered yesterday evening. The Public Works and Police Department are working on extra projects of destruction throughout the town. Thank you for your patience as we try to address all the issues. If you live in the Town limits and have extra debris in your yard from the storm, please put it in a pile at the edge of your property and the Town will be picking it up next week.”
Clean-Up Underway in Central and Safford
Outside of Pima, county, and municipal workers spent Wednesday night and Thursday morning responding to storm damage across the valley.
- Central: Graham County crews worked through the evening clearing roadways blocked by fallen trees and debris in unincorporated areas, noting that Central experienced the greatest impact outside of Pima.
- Safford: Downed fences and roof damage were reported in areas south of Safford. Additionally, the Mount Graham Golf Course in Safford has been temporarily closed to the public following heavy runoff and a large volume of fast-moving water sweeping across the property.
Crews throughout Graham County continue to monitor infrastructure and clear hazards as the community recovers from one of the season’s most destructive monsoon events.
