Flooding a serious issue throughout Arizona
BY DENNY BARNEY
Arizonans have been warned all year of a looming decade of “mega-drought” threatening the Southwestern United States. And yet, Maricopa County has been drenched—twice within a month— by unprecedented rainfalls.
Monday, Sept. 8, will be remembered as a historic day in the East Valley: the single wettest day in recorded history. Cars were stranded, roads impassable, businesses and homes burdened with several inches of thick mud and water.
The Valley’s long-term challenge is drought, but, with our nearly sea-level altitude, soil, topography and wide natural network of riverbeds, washes and arroyos, heavy rainfall can fill up those normally dry creeks quickly. Ironically, all that rain did little to impact the Salt River watershed or our long-term water challenge. Winter snowpack up north is much more critical to alleviate the drought.
Our county dams and structures were tested severely. Some 14 feet of water accumulated behind Guadalupe Dam, and more than 11 feet of water rose behind the Rittenhouse Flood Restraining Structure. Events like this emphasize the importance of the county Flood Control District.
Because of the significance of the damage suffered by businesses and residents, both Gov. Brewer and the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors declared a “state of emergency,” which provides increased administrative flexibility and allows governments to implement emergency plans. Anyone who saw the dramatic rescue
Share
by sheriff’s officers of the woman trapped in a van in New River will better appreciate the effort, the professionalism and heroism of the first responders, including Maricopa County workers from the Flood Control District, Sheriff’s office and the departments of Emergency Management and Transportation. Setting up barricades, closing roads, passing out sandbags—County personnel were deployed with militarylike precision and speed. It is an impressive operation. And in no small way, the County response played a role in coming out of the storms without a single loss of life or serious injury in Maricopa County.
I visited the Flood Control District’s ALERT Operations Center. The “ALERT Center” is the hub for a host of public and private agencies, monitoring rainfall on gauges, checking water levels behind the dams and retention basins across the Valley and responding to hundreds of worried phone calls.
The operations that flood control and other agencies performed during the emergency had been planned, studied and practiced throughout the year. That’s a valuable lesson for all of us. If you haven’t done so before, I’d encourage you to visit the Flood Control District’s website, www.fcd. maricopa.gov/. The website offers everyone some valuable information and useful tips on the dangers of flooding—and what you can do to protect yourself.
Remember the basics: Stay out of flooded washes and streets. Six inches of water can sweep you off your feet. Stay out of your car. Nearly half of flood-related fatalities involve motorists. If you live in a flood-prone area, buy flood insurance and have emergency supplies on hand.
We live in a desert. Rain is always welcome. Except when it’s too much. These past weeks’ events serve as a brutal reminder.
Denny Barney is a Gilbert resident and chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
with SanTan Sun News!
Attend university for promising jobs
Dear editor,
In these difficult economic times, it is more important than ever to get a good college degree. However, many young people wonder what their job prospects will be. The first thing they should do is get a college education in a field where job opportunities in the future are promising—health, math, computers or marketing.
There are three wonderful state universities in Arizona and, with a little research, you can find out how easy it is to attend and prepare for your future.
Things have changed in the state university system and Arizona universities offer affordable assistance resources. This is an opportunity to invest in your future. Don’t pass it up.
Sean Rogers Chandler
Pay attention to plans
Dear editor,
When you get a notification of a development going in near you, pay close attention. Do your due diligence, attend the meetings, pay close attention to the dimensions on
Correction
the developer’s plans. This is especially important if the development is not in your city as, for example, in the areas where Chandler and Gilbert zigzag back and forth on Gilbert Road. Pay very close attention to the heights of, for example, buildings that are called one-story buildings. How tall is a one-story building? Well, apparently they can be at least as much as 38 feet. We have a project going in near us that has a three-story building I understand will be approximately 50 feet, but the one-story building in that project built near our development is 38 feet. Definitely not what we expected. We were lax in paying sufficient attention to the drawings; we listened to the words. So, nothing we can do about it now but maybe encourage others to watch out. The City fathers are very pro-revenue and, if you watch zoning and development cases, unless there is a loud public outcry, are not particularly sensitive to community issues when revenue is at stake. When the possible revenue source and elected officials are not even in your city, you need to pay attention and start early if you want to have a prayer of not waking up staring at a 38-foot, one-story wall that covers about 90 degrees of the view from your patio.
In a story on Page 27 of the Sept. 6, 2014, issue of the SanTan Sun News, the wrong phone number was listed for Spanish 4 Kids. It can be reached at (480) 258-8810 or Spanish4kids@carebearpreschool.com.
Have a story idea or news tip? Know of an interesting photo opportunity? How about positive feedback or constructive comments? We’d like to hear from you. Email us at News@SanTanSun.com.
We know you have an opinion! Share it with the SanTan Sun News. Unless you’re the mayor, however, please keep your Letters to the editor around 200-300 words, or they may be edited for length. Include your first and last name, community or development name in Southern Chandler (Cooper Commons, Ocotillo, Sun Groves, etc.) or ZIP code and daytime phone number for verification. Anonymous letters are not typically accepted. Email is the preferred submission method, to Letters@SanTanSun.com. All submitted Letters to the Editor and Community Commentaries become the property of the SanTan Sun News and may be reprinted in part, quoting the letters’ authors, or in their entirety. Your submission to the SanTan Sun News is considered your permission to print your written opinion. Opinions expressed in Community Commentaries, Letters to the Editor or cartoons are those of the author, and not that of the SanTan Sun News.
MAILING ADDRESS:
TELEPHONE: (480) 732-0250
FAX: (480) 883-8714
©2014 SanTan Sun News
For News Tips, Editorial Articles, Opinion or Classifieds, email is preferred.
NEWS EMAIL ADDRESS: news@santansun.com
ADS EMAIL ADDRESS: ads@santansun.com
WEBSITE ADDRESS: www.santansun.com
Deadline
EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISING:
5 P.M. WED., SEPT. 24, 2014 FOR THE SAT., OCT. 4 2014 ISSUE
35,000
Total Circulation
27,250+ Driveways
Fifty square mile coverage area from Price/101 to Greenfield and from Frye to Hunt Highway.
Proud member of the
PUBLISHER
Steve T. Strickbine
PUBLISHER EMERITUS
Laurie Fagen
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
Jane Meyer
WEBSITE MAINTAINED BY Susan Kovacs, n-ergizing
EXECUTIVE
Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
NEWS
Tracy House
COPY EDITOR
Mike Tulumello
WRITERS
Lynette Carrington
Manali Chavan
Tim J. Randall
Scott Shumaker
Alison Stanton
SECTION EDITORS
Kimberly Hosey
Sharon McCarson
Meghan McCoy
Joan Westlake
SCHOOL NEWS CONTRIBUTORS
Kathie Butters
JoAnne Cawley
Andrea Dickson, Wendi Olson, Stephanie Palomarez, Carol Skocypec
ART DIRECTOR
Eric Jelinek
LAYOUT
Helga Benz
AD DESIGN
Christine Bryner, Studio 509
Denny Barney.
Submitted photo
Walter Wright Peterson Farms
