Arizona floods: rooftop rescues in Sedona, 12 water rescues in Tucson

Heavy rain from a storm system over the Southwest flooded parts of Arizona over the weekend. State crews lifted residents from rooftops in Sedona, firefighters carried out 12 water rescues in the Tucson area, and a man went missing in floodwaters in Flagstaff.

A powerful storm system that drenched the Southwest over the weekend left parts of Arizona under water, with rescue crews pulling residents from rooftops in Sedona and drivers from flooded cars in Tucson.

In Sedona, Oak Creek rose to historic levels on Sunday, prompting evacuation orders for parts of the city and Oak Creek Canyon. Gov. Katie Hobbs' office said Department of Public Safety air rescue crews had carried out six rooftop evacuations by Sunday afternoon as floodwaters trapped residents in their homes, with more under way. AZFamily reported that 19 homes were evacuated. The state activated its Emergency Operations Center, and transportation crews helped remove debris.

Major flood warning and evacuation notice for Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon

In the Tucson area there were 12 water rescues on Sunday, seven of them handled by the Tucson Fire Department, which said no injuries were reported. Firefighters used aerial ladders to reach drivers stranded in cars swamped by floodwaters. On Monday the National Weather Service said the Santa Cruz River was flooding near Marana, and the Gila River at Solomon and the San Francisco River at Clifton were also flooding.

Firefighters rescue a driver from a car swamped by floodwaters in Tucson

In Flagstaff, police and firefighters searched for a man who lost his footing and fell into fast-moving water south of downtown shortly before 6 p.m. Sunday. City officials asked residents to stay home after widespread flooding in the Southside neighborhood and on major roads including Route 66 and South Milton Road, warning that public safety teams were at capacity.

Several state highways remained closed on Monday, though State Route 179 in Sedona reopened, the Arizona Department of Transportation said. Yuma set a daily rainfall record of 0.62 inches on Sunday, breaking the previous mark of 0.22 inches set in 1987, according to the weather service.

Arizona floods: rooftop rescues in Sedona, 12 water rescues in Tucson