Locals in Yuma react to Monday’s storm
Manoah Tuiasosopo
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Monsoon storms swept through Yuma County on Monday bringing in strong winds, power outages, and localized flooding.
The intense weather created dangerous driving conditions and caused power outages across parts of Yuma County.
Traffic signals can be seen out on Fourth Avenue. Multiple roads were also shut down including one on Fortuna Road near the railroad tracks due to flooding.
Local Charles Sims says, “Water was like a lake in my front yard…I’ve never seen it rain like that in a long time.”
Although skies have cleared up, some locals say they wouldn’t mind seeing more rain as long as it comes without the damage.
Fred Webber explains, “We’d like to see a little more rain but nothing devastating. Of course nobody wants to see a storm that causes damage. I don’t think most of us are used to wet roads and the rainfall but Yuma is a pretty safe town.”
Sims lives in the foothills and says while rain is rare, improving drainage should be a top priority.
“They really need to work on the infrastructure out there as far as the drainage. That’s the problem here in the desert because of the water table and the sand. You get so much water it gets saturated and it has no where to go,” Sims shared.
Drivers are still being urged to use caution as some roads remain closed. For the latest weather updates, click here.