Residents in Cornville are clearing mud, repairing homes and restoring essential services a week after severe flooding swept through Arizona’s Verde Valley, with neighbours, volunteers and emergency crews continuing to help those worst affected.
The flooding on Sunday November 1 forced evacuations in Lower Oak Creek and left parts of the community without water and sewer services. Yavapai County later lifted all evacuation orders, although officials warned that power, running water and other utilities could remain disrupted.
“Never in a million years, and we expect water, and, you know, we plan for flooding, but nothing like this,” resident John Krall said.
Krall said the scale of the flooding was difficult to comprehend, even for people accustomed to living near waterways. He recalled a neighbour telling him that a refrigerator had been seen floating downstream, still carrying his steaks.
As the water rose, resident Ryan Hartman went from house to house helping people leave. He said the immediate priority had now shifted to restoring basic services and making homes safe.
“It took out the sewer, and it took out our water,” Hartman said. “It’s rebuilding, it’s repairing the homes, it’s trying to get, you know, some sort of help any way we can.”
Volunteers help Cornville flood recovery
Rescue teams faced dangerous conditions during the worst of the flooding. Members of the Yavapai County Jeep Posse assisted sheriff’s deputies, using drones to identify people trapped in homes surrounded by water.
Mark Langfelder, a Jeep Posse volunteer, said one two-storey house was encircled by floodwater on every side. One woman was eventually lifted to safety by helicopter, while other rescuers used ropes and a kayak to reach residents trapped inside another flooded property.
Emergency crews also included Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers, who worked with deputies to wade and swim through strong currents during the rescues. The American Red Cross opened shelters across Yavapai County to provide meals and support for people displaced by the flooding.
By November 3, some evacuation zones had been cleared, while Lower Oak Creek in Cornville remained under a mandatory “GO” order. Yavapai County said a community assistance centre would open in Cottonwood to help residents with recovery information and damage assessments.
Since then, residents say support has come from across the community, with people bringing food, preparing lunches and arriving with tools to help clear debris.
“Just fantastic neighbours. The community has all pitched in,” Krall said. “We’ve had people I don’t even know show up with shovels, and it puts a lot of faith in humankind.”
