It’s difficult to wrap one’s mind around the destruction that took place in Globe and Miami on Thursday and Friday due to severe storm behavior and flooding in both areas.
Below is a synopsis of the storm events and aftermath in both Globe and Miami. This is only a brief glimpse into these events, which have had a detrimental impact on the Globe-Miami community, businesses and residents alike.
Two people were confirmed deceased and one declared missing as of Saturday morning, according to Tiffany Davila, the public information officer for Arizona Forestry’s Incident Management Team. The City of Globe and Gila County Emergency Management did not respond to request for comment. Floodwaters tore through Globe Friday evening, including downtown’s Broad Street, capturing people, vehicles, and debris in its path.
An estimated 1,000 propane tanks from local business Matlock Gas washed through Globe and onto the highway, some leaking and venting, and some traveling as far as neighboring Wheatfields – roughly 10 miles away – in the floodwaters.
The day had started with scattered showers passing through the area Friday morning and afternoon. By around 6:20 p.m., rainfall intensified into a downpour, with hail observed in downtown Globe just after 6:30 p.m. By 6:56, one bystander saw water starting to pour through the railings on the bridge downtown.
Gabrielle Patten and her family were among many who found themselves trapped in La Casita Cafe in downtown Globe when the flood waters reached the restaurant.
“We had our five-month old baby and 11-year-old boy,” she says. “We all stood on top of tables, keeping the baby in his car seat at the highest point of the room.”
Employees estimate that the water in the building was at least five feet high.
Long-time employee Jessica Garcia said that her 16-year-old daughter Alicia, was one of three employees who got swept away in the water when they were trying to exit the restaurant through the front.
She said a car hit the front window, and an employee from The Huddle broke the window the rest of the way to help get everyone out. When they were hanging onto the front of the building, though, the three employees were swept into the fast-moving water.
Garcia’s daughter was able to swim and hold onto the top of a car that was stuck against a pole. Rescuers were able to save her and another employee who had been swept away. The third employee was rescued by her son farther down the street.
Local units were overwhelmed by the number of calls for help they received, which ranged from swift water rescues to exploding propane tanks, and struggled to respond to all the 911 calls flooding in.
Blocks away, 50-plus people were congregated inside Globe’s historic train depot for a baby shower when water began pouring in on the first floor. It was quickly apparent that everyone needed to get to higher ground. Party guests had to break through a door that led to the upstairs area. And from their second-floor view, they watched below while flood waters inundated the parking lot, lifting cars so high aloft that they ended up on top of each other.
Just before 11:30 p.m. on Friday, Globe Mayor Al Gameros issued a statement detailing the search and rescue efforts that were in place. Swift water teams were in the process of searching all the washes, with help from a Department of Public Safety helicopter. Additional Search and Rescue teams were dispatched from both Maricopa and Pinal Counties and en route by
that point.
In total, the region received at least three inches of rain on Friday, in addition to the precipitation already received on Thursday, according to National Weather Service data.
Saturday morning, police cordoned off the bridge by Tri City Furniture. A police officer at the scene said it was the site of two fatalities. Cars were lodged against the undercarriage of the bridge and debris and a car could be seen on the bridge.
Governor Katie Hobbs declared a State of Emergency for Gila County later that day, making state resources immediately available, including emergency funds, the Arizona National Guard, and coordination through the State Emergency Operations
Center.
Arizona Forestry’s Incident Management Team assumed command of the incident on Sunday, with more than 150 people supporting the team and fieldwork, including six search and rescue teams from across the state, two state forestry wildland crews, a USFS hotshot crew, along with local first responders, county, and state agencies.
Teams, from contractors to those brought in by the incident management team, were working to clear wreckage and debris – including large trees, rvs, trucks and cars – from bridges and creek beds along either side of Highway 60. They also worked to remove the propane tanks scattered within a ten-mile radius – behind businesses, in creeks and under bridges, throughout downtown Broad Street – extending all the way to Wheatfields.
A team from Action Towing reported pulling 23 cars from the creek beds on Saturday.
As of Sunday, there were more than 30 local businesses that were closed “until further notice” including La Casita Cafe.
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