HERO NEIGHBOR AND DEPUTIES PULL COUPLE FROM WAIST-DEEP FLOODWATERS IN CORNVILLE AFTER FIVE INCHES OF RAIN
A man and a woman were pulled to safety Sunday from their Cornville home after roughly five inches of rain turned the property into a lake. Water rose to the woman’s shoulders in about 30 minutes. She escaped through a window. A family friend from New Mexico carried her out on his back through the murky flood. Deputies and Arizona DPS troopers then tied ropes to trees, fought the current, and used a neighbor’s kayak to extract her husband.
Cindy Kerber said she watched Oak Creek climb that morning. Once it topped the berm, sandbags failed. “I couldn’t think of anything except just getting out of there safely,” she told local reporters. “He put me on his back and walked me across the water.” A deputy jumped in to help. Her home is a total loss. “All of that stuff is replaceable,” she said. Her husband is safe.
The rescue was one of several across Yavapai County as creeks and rivers surged from saturated ground. Prescott declared a state of emergency after Watson Lake Dam overtopped. Mayor Cathey Rusing and city officials activated the Emergency Operations Center. Granite Creek ran higher than longtime residents had seen in decades. Business owner Jim Bellington said, “Yesterday I saw more water than I’ve ever seen over the last 20 years.” Low-water crossings closed. Roads washed out. Evacuation orders hit parts of Cottonwood and other areas. AZ DPS Ranger helicopters flew 27 missions and rescued 20 people over the weekend. Red Cross shelters opened, though demand stayed modest.
County Board of Supervisors Chair Brooks Compton stated the priority is “the safety and well-being of our residents” and that the emergency declaration frees resources for first responders. Officials confirmed no widespread catastrophic damage, but the speed of the rise caught people off guard. Neighbors, deputies, and troopers did the hard work in the water. No federal bureaucracy required. Just ropes, a kayak, and people who showed up.
SOURCES: AZ Family, 12 News, ABC News, Arizona DPS, Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, City of Prescott statements.