One year after the historic Gila County floods, Tim Mellema is continuing to regain the use of his arm after injuring himself while helping his family escape their home in Globe, Arizona.
Tim’s sister, Rose Mellema, said he had been inside with their parents when floodwater entered the property on 26 September 2025. Unable to leave through the door, he broke a window to create an escape route, badly cutting his arm in the process.
The injury severed veins and an artery. Tim was taken to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, where surgeons managed to save the limb after an emergency operation.
“He’s getting mobility in his arm. Can’t write with it yet, but he can move it,” Rose said as the family marked the anniversary of the flooding.
The Mellema family home was destroyed by the water and has since been demolished. The family is now living temporarily in accommodation provided by their church while they work to rebuild their lives.
The floods devastated the communities of Globe and Miami, leaving three people dead and causing widespread damage across Gila County. In Globe alone, officials have estimated the cost of the destruction at about $96 million.
Rose said the experience had changed her family, but that they were trying to move forward after the disaster.
“I’ve definitely grown since then. We’ve all grown and what I’ve learned is we all came out stronger,” she said.
