Arizona Governor Declares State of Emergency After Deadly Gila County Flash Floods

State of Emergency Declared

• 🚨 Governor Katie Hobbs declared a state of emergency for Gila County, Arizona, following catastrophic flooding.
• 💔 The declaration addresses the devastating impact on communities like Globe, Miami, Claypool, and the San Carlos Apache tribe.

Impact of the Flooding

• 🏠 Homes were decimated, businesses destroyed, and tragically, lives were lost due to heavy rains and flash floods.
• ⚠️ Residents were forced to evacuate their homes quickly, and businesses were inundated by floodwaters.

State Government Response

• 🛠️ The state is deploying critical state resources to support search and rescue, cleanup, and recovery efforts.
• 🛡️ The Arizona National Guard has been authorized for deployment to assist in Gila County.
• 🤝 Support is being provided to communities on the San Carlos Apache reservation through the state mutual aid compact.

Coordinated Emergency Operations

• 🌐 The State Emergency Operations Center is activated with 24-hour staffing from 20 agencies and over 45 personnel.
• 🔍 State agencies are enhancing information sharing and coordination to ensure rapid and effective resource deployment.
• 🚒 Six hazmat teams from eight agencies, including mutual aid from California, are addressing hazardous material incidents.
• 🛣️ Over 25 Arizona Department of Transportation staff and crews are assisting with road clearance.

Federal Coordination and Support

• 📞 Governor Hobbs' administration is in close coordination with FEMA leadership, including acting administrator Richardson and region 9 administrator Fenton.
• 🤝 Secretary Gnome has expressed appreciation for the state's leadership and indicated FEMA will be prepared to assist as necessary.
• 🌍 The incident is being managed with a whole of government approach, locally led, state-managed, and federally supported.