Flash Floods in Nye County, Nevada, USA, 27 July 2021.
© Nye CountyFlash Floods in Nye County, Nevada, USA, 27 July 2021.
Heavy rain and flash flooding affected several states in America's Southwest. A local state of emergency was declared for communities in southern Utah and Nevada. Both areas recorded between 40 and 50 mm of rain in 1 hour.

Two people were reported missing after flash floods in New Mexico. Meanwhile a teenager is still missing and a young child has died in separate incidents of flash flooding in Arizona over the last few days.

Utah

Heavy rain triggered flash floods in parts of southern Utah on 26 July. The hardest hit areas were in Iron County and Cedar City, where the mayor, Maile Wilson-Edwards, declared a local state of emergency. In a statement, the mayor said, "preliminary information shows that our City received over two inches (50 mm) of rain in approximately one hour. Which categorizes yesterday's storm as an estimated 500-year frequency flooding event in some areas.

"The amount of rain in such a short period of time overwhelmed flood control structures and resulted in localized flooding in areas of our City. The flooding impacted public infrastructure, private residential homes and apartments, businesses, and churches. Some of the residential units were left un-inhabitable."

The American Red Cross has opened a shelter to house those unable to stay in their homes.



Nevada

Heavy rain struck in Nevada on 26 July following a day of stormy weather (25 July) with winds of 80 to 100 mph (130 to 160 km/h). The worst of the flooding was reported in Pahrump in Nye County, where public services were closed.

Nye County Manager Tim Sutton issued a Declaration of Existence of Local Emergency on 27 July 2021 "as a first step to seeking assistance and reimbursement from the State of Nevada and Federal partners due to damage in Pahrump from the storms Sunday night and Monday."

The National Weather Service in Nevada said Pahrump recorded 1.85 inches (47 mm) of rain during a storm on 26 July. Most of that total fell in less than an hour according to AP reports.

Heavy rain and flash flooding was also reported in areas near Red Rock in Nevada, which recorded 1.84 inches of rain during the storm.



New Mexico

Heavy rain caused flash flooding in Albuquerque, New Mexico, late on 27 July 2021. This is the second flood in the city in the space of a week, where three men died after being swept away in an arroyo (water channel) on 20 July.

In almost identical circumstances to those of 20 July, rescue crews in Albuquerque were searching for 2 people believed to have been swept away in an arroyo to the northeast of the city late on 27 July.

In an update of 27 July, Albuquerque Fire Department said, "One victim identified near Washington and Cutler was in the Embudo Arroyo and has successfully been rescued. Rescue crews are still searching for one more victim."


Arizona

A young girl was reported missing after flash floods in Pima, a town in Graham County, Arizona, on 22 July 2021. After a long search, the Police Department in Pima said the body of a young girl was found on 26 July 2021.

Meanwhile a teenage girl was reported missing after her vehicle was swept away in flash floods near Cottonwood, Yavapai County on 24 July. Verde Valley Fire crews, Cottonwood police and Cottonwood fire crews deployed search teams to locate the girl. The search is ongoing.

Flash flooding on 25 July prompted some evacuations near the town of Taylor in Navajo County. Those evacuated have since been able to return home.

Two people stranded on a truck caught in floodwaters were rescued by an aviation unit from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in Arizona on 23 July.



Severe flooding was reported in areas around Flagstaff in Arizona on 13 July this year.