Oak Creek Flooding Causes Evacuations and Road Closures in Sedona Area
What happened
Heavy rain prompted evacuations in parts of northern and central Arizona after Oak Creek rose above flood stage. The National Weather Service reported that the gauge near Sedona stood at 15.06 feet at 9:45 a.m. ET, which is above the creek's 14-foot flood stage. Arizona’s AZ511 road alert listed closures on State Route 89A, State Route 73, and State Route 238.
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Why it matters
The flooding and subsequent road closures are causing local operational disruption in Sedona. Coconino County activated its Emergency Operations Center in response to the widespread flooding, impacting local movement and services.
Recent rainfall has caused hazardous conditions in the Oak Creek watershed, specifically affecting the West Fork tributary.
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Who's involved
- National Weather ServiceU.S. forecasting agency that reported the creek's gauge reading
- SedonaCity in Arizona where flooding caused hazardous conditions
- Oak CreekRiver whose rising waters caused flooding and hazardous conditions
- Coconino CountyCounty in Arizona that activated its Emergency Operations Center
- Arizona Department of TransportationState government agency managing transportation routes affected by closures
Who could feel it
Possible knock-on effectsThese are possibilities Brind reasoned out, not predictions, and not advice. Most are not stated in any report.
- SedonaSpeculative
Local businesses might face reduced revenue due to flooding and road closures.
- Arizona Department of TransportationSpeculative
The Arizona Department of Transportation might incur increased costs managing and modifying transportation routes.
Keep exploring
Part of
Recent rainfall has caused hazardous conditions in the Oak Creek watershed, specifically affecting the West Fork tributary.Also in this story
- Burn debris has flowed into Oak Creek, which is located in a canyon near Sedona. A road has been reopened near Sedona.
- Tributaries converged causing record high water levels in the West Fork River, with updates provided by Jeff Jenkins.
- Flash flooding caused access issues in the canyon of Oak Creek, affecting the area around Sedona.
The entities involved
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National Weather Service
U.S. forecasting agency of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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Sedona
city in Yavapai and Coconino counties in Arizona, United States