Maricopa County agency finds 21 spots in single Phoenix area that could flood
Jul 28, 2017, 2:13 PM
(AP Photo)
(AP Photo)
PHOENIX — The Maricopa County Flood Control District has identified 21 areas in a southeast Phoenix community vulnerable to a flood during heavy rainfall.
“We’ve identified about 520 properties, being a combination of residences and businesses,” Valerie Swick with Flood Control said of Ahwatukee.
The properties sit in areas where higher concentration of flows present a potentially higher risk of inundation.
District engineers have drawn up plans for seven areas slated for improvements to guard against flooding when significant rainfalls occur. “We chose what we felt were the top seven and developed some mitigation measures.”
Swick said that included floodwalls, channels, spillway and drain improvements to protect the affected areas.
Cost was estimated around $7 million. Swick said the agency can get its hands on $1 million.
That would be enough to cover one area. The project will take eight months to a year to complete and will be paid for by a mix of city and county funds.
The areas were identified as being vulnerable to both 10-year and 100-year storms and flooding.
Ahwatukee has about a 10 percent chance of being hit by a 10-year deluge in any given year. That kind of flood could do about $5 millions in damage to homes and businesses. A 100-year flood would cost about $11 million to repair damage.
Floods are not covered by standard homeowner’s policies.
