During his 2026 State of the City address, Globe Mayor Al Gameros recalled a Friday evening last September, when he was driving through downtown.
“It was busy. Lots of people were out enjoying the night, just like any normal Friday night in Globe,” he said.
Just 45 minutes later, “one of the most devastating events in our history” took place, he said, referring to the disastrous September 26 flooding.
The flood would be the main theme of this year's address.
“This flood did not just damage buildings. It didn't just impact our infrastructure. It disrupted lives,” Gameros told the crowd. “Families were displaced, businesses were forced to close their doors, memories built over generations were washed away, and for many, what was lost was not just property. It was personal, it was profound, and it was part of who we are.”
As if to underscore this point, on April 21, just two days before the address, another local business hit hard by the flooding announced its closure.
“Despite our best efforts to recover and continue serving you, the financial impact has made it impossible to remain open,” Courtesy Ford of Globe posted on their Facebook page.
During his speech, Gameros described events following the flood, including when he returned later that September night to find a devastated downtown.
“You could see in the faces of our firefighters and police officers . . . the weight of a chaos that was unfolding around them,” he said. “It became painfully clear that our community had just changed forever,” he said.
Gameros focused not only on damage and loss — he said damage to city infrastructure was documented at $96 million, $36 million to Globe's sewer system, and that preliminary numbers showed a decline in city revenue since the flood — but also on community strength.
“In those first hours and in the next day, we saw a lot of fear, a lot of uncertainty, but more importantly we saw something else . . . neighbors helping neighbors, first responders working around the clock,” he said. “We saw volunteers showing up, not for recognition, but because people needed help. We saw the true spirit of Globe, a community that refused to be defined by disaster and chose instead to be defined by resilience.”
He added that the city had been “relentless” in securing recovery funds and “making sure our community qualifies for every dollar of assistance available.”
The goal, he said, was “something bigger than recovery alone,” not just rebuilding, but rebuilding stronger.
Flood mitigation projects include removing sediment from Pinal Creek and stabilizing its banks over a 2.8-mile stretch. Globe has pursued National Resources Conservation Service funding for this $24 million project, with a local match of 25 percent — $5.5 million.
Gameros then reviewed other city projects, including a new, $13 million fire station; the $3.5 million Jesse Hayes sidewalk project; buying a new, $2.5 million ladder truck; the $2.8 million U.S. 60 waterline project, from the former Apache Drive-In to the county fairgrounds; skate park improvements; rehabilitation of Besh-Ba-Gowah; and the city's new water meters.
He said the sidewalk project was funded from state appropriations and the waterline project was funded through congressional district spending. He added that BHP Copper, Freeport McMoRan and Resolution Copper had contributed funds toward the ladder truck at $800,000, $106,000 and $100,000, respectively. The water meters, which cost $3.1 million, were funded through a Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona grant.
“These projects are not separate from our recovery,” Gameros said. “They are proof of it, proof we are still moving forward.”
“While 2026 may be a year of challenge, I believe 2027 can bring a year of renewal, where recovery turns into momentum, hardship gives way to opportunity, and our city moves forward stronger than before,” he said.
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