Northern Arizona is beginning the long work of recovery after a powerful weekend storm system dumped months' worth of rain across the region, flooding hundreds of homes, flipping recreational vehicles, and forcing mass evacuations from Sedona to the Verde Valley. Yavapai County officials said 466 homes were impacted, and evacuation orders that had displaced hundreds of residents were finally lifted on November 4 as water levels receded.
The storms, fueled by a plume of tropical moisture known as a "pineapple express," soaked Arizona and the Four Corners region from November 1 into November 2. Forecasters at the National Weather Service office in Flagstaff said radar and rain gauges showed a widespread 2 to 5 inches of rain, with locally higher amounts, across and south of the Mogollon Rim. Several rivers and streams rose to record levels, and flood warnings covered nearly all of Arizona along with parts of southern Utah, southwestern Colorado, western New Mexico, and southern Nevada.
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs declared a state of emergency on November 2, unlocking $200,000 in relief funds. State air rescue crews assisted with rooftop evacuations.
A Weekend of Record Rain
The rain began on Saturday evening, November 1, and continued through Monday, November 2, as a series of Pacific storm systems pushed moisture into the Southwest. The National Weather Service said some stream gauges exceeded record stage heights, and the flooding arrived with little warning in a region better known for drought than deluges.
In the picturesque town of Sedona, officials ordered residents near Oak Creek to leave immediately on Sunday morning as floodwaters trapped multiple people inside their homes. The city moved areas along the creek to "Set" evacuation status at 7:15 a.m. and raised them to "Go" at 7:45 a.m., covering zones on the city's east side. At least 19 homes were evacuated in Sedona, and some had 3 to 4 inches of water inside, according to Yavapai County spokesman David McAtee.
Firefighters called in extra crews for what one station described as an "excessive amount" of water rescues. Videos released by the Sedona Fire Department showed floodwaters sweeping through streets and rushing past houses. By Sunday afternoon, the heaviest rain had largely eased in the Sedona area, but rivers downstream continued to rise.
The flooding was not confined to Arizona. In southwestern Colorado, more than 1,000 homes were under mandatory evacuation orders in Archuleta County, and communities in northern New Mexico also issued evacuations as rivers overflowed and highways closed.
Sedona and the Verde Valley
Some of the worst flooding struck the Verde Valley, where Oak Creek, Wet Beaver Creek, and West Clear Creek feed the Verde River. Emergency managers reported that 150 to 200 homes were affected by flooding along Wet Beaver Creek in the Lake Montezuma and Rimrock areas alone.
Oak Creek at Cornville stood at 16.93 feet on Sunday evening, more than double its 8-foot flood stage, and the Camp Verde gauge on the Verde River read 23.51 feet late Sunday night. Verde Valley Fire Chief Danny Johnson told local station 12News that crews went house to house and carried out at least a dozen swift-water rescues on Sunday, and that a couple of thousand homes were in jeopardy of flooding at the height of the storm.
In the Pinetop-Lakeside area of central Arizona, the flooding caused sewage to back up into homes, and residents reported manhole covers being forced out of their positions by the pressure of the water.
Yavapai County declared a countywide emergency on November 2 and requested assistance. The county reported that since November 1, a total of 253 homes had been evacuated. As of Sunday, no deaths or injuries had been reported, though nearly 20 homes had residents needing emergency help to relocate, McAtee said.
Camp Verde: RVs Flipped, Residents Displaced
In Camp Verde, the flooding caused extensive damage at the Verde River RV Resort and Cottages, where surging water flipped recreational vehicles and trailer homes onto their sides. Many residents were sheltering in the resort's community center while searching for new housing, and even homes that remained standing suffered widespread structural damage, with numerous units considered total losses.
"I've never been homeless in my life but here I am," said Ulric Beraid, a resort resident who spent 27 years traveling in his RV before floodwaters overturned his motorhome. "I'm convinced that the unit is totaled. My clothes and medicines and whatever are still in the rig," he said.
Ruth Ann Wheatman, another resort resident, recounted how her husband became trapped in his truck before their trailer also flipped over. "My husband was in the truck and trailer, but when he was rescued out of it, it was still upright. By morning, it was pushed over on its side," she said.
Resident Randy Johnson said water rose about 4.5 to 5 feet from the ground, reaching 2.5 to 3 feet up the side of his rig. Displaced residents leaned on the Red Cross and local churches for essential resources, though neighbors said the strongest support came from each other. "Community really came together. People are helping each other, everyone's getting by," Johnson said. "It's just unbelievable, the generosity of our community," Wheatman added.
Rivers at Record Levels
The scale of the flooding was written in the river gauges. On the Little Colorado River at Winslow, a record flood stage was observed early Monday, with the river standing at 23.05 feet at 1 a.m., well above its 19-foot flood stage. Forecasters warned that a crest over 40 feet was possible by 1 p.m. Tuesday, and the levee was expected to be overtopped within hours.
The National Weather Service in Flagstaff said the widespread rainfall was the product of an atmospheric river pulling tropical moisture from near Hawaii. Such "pineapple express" systems are rarer when they aim at the normally arid Southwest, where dry, hard ground sheds water quickly and desert washes can turn into raging rivers within minutes.
One Man Still Missing
As recovery began, authorities were still searching for Benny Sutton Jr., 63, who went missing on November 1 from the Castle Hot Springs area. His vehicle was found fully submerged in rushing floodwaters in a wash about two miles downstream from the resort, according to authorities. The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office said rescue crews were working to complete safety assessments across the county even as evacuation orders were lifted.
No deaths had been confirmed as of the latest reports, though Sutton remained missing. That toll could still change as crews reach homes and washes that were cut off at the height of the flooding.
What This Means
The November floods are a reminder that Arizona's greatest weather danger is often water, not heat. The state's desert landscape, with its steep canyons and dry washes, can turn a heavy rainstorm into a flash flood with terrifying speed.
The storms also exposed how quickly a disaster can outgrow local resources. Yavapai County's emergency declaration, the governor's statewide order, and the deployment of state air rescue crews all came within about 48 hours of the first rain. The $200,000 in state relief funds is a first step, but rebuilding hundreds of damaged homes, many of them RVs and trailers that served as full-time residences, will take far longer and cost far more.
For residents of the Verde Valley, the flooding was the second blow in as many weeks, and saturated ground leaves little margin if another system arrives.
What Happens Next
With evacuation orders lifted on November 4, residents began returning home to assess damage, though officials warned of possible disruptions to electricity, water, and other services. Affected zones remain open only to local residents and emergency services personnel while safety assessments continue.
The search for Benny Sutton Jr. continues, and the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office said crews would keep working through the flooded areas. The governor's emergency declaration keeps state resources available, and the Red Cross and local churches are continuing to support displaced families.
Forecasters will be watching the rivers for days. The Little Colorado River at Winslow was still expected to crest above 40 feet on Tuesday, and officials warned residents to stay away from flooded roads and washes. The National Weather Service's standing advice applies with particular force after a storm like this one: never drive through flooded roadways, where a few inches of moving water can sweep a vehicle away.
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