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Flagstaff Braces For Weekend Of Cleanup After Damage From Historic Rains

A rain event that had less than a 1% chance of happening slammed into Flagstaff this week.

Officials called it a 200- to 500-year rain event, unlikely even at the lower end. But it fell on the burn scar from the 2019 Museum Fire. It flooded a school and dozens of homes. Some areas saw 4 inches of rain.

During a meeting Wednesday evening, Coconino County engineer Christopher Tressler noted it was the largest amount of rain to fall on the scar yet.

"We had reports as of earlier today that 24-26 homes received interior flood damage. There’s many many homes and properties that have debris on their properties. It’s not a good situation for them," he said.

Flagstaff and county officials are calling for volunteers to help this weekend.

"There’s a lot of folks with a lot of debris on their properties, so anything that people can do to help in those areas is super helpful," said Flagstaff Public Works director ​​Andy Bertelsen.

Weather service officials are expecting an easing of rainstorms in the area until Sunday.

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Fronteras Desk senior editor Michel Marizco is an award-winning investigative reporter based in Flagstaff.