Thousands still without power Monday after storms hit Phoenix area

Thousands of homes and businesses were without power Monday morning as metro Phoenix began to to shake off the effects of two storm systems that crossed paths over the area late Sunday.

Most of the Valley reported an inch, or slightly less, of rainfall in the storms, with El Mirage the hardest hit. More rainfall was expected Tuesday. 

More than 8,000 customers initially lost power, according to utilities Arizona Public Service Co. and Salt River Project. Roofs were damaged and trees downed as rain and winds swept across the metro area.

Nearly 2,200 APS customers were without power as of 6 a.m. Monday morning according to an outage map, the majority of those in Buckeye. 

An estimated 1,644 households and businesses there were without power Monday morning. Most of the other affected APS customers were in rural areas such as Congress, Gila Bend, Florence, Aguila and Dateland.

In addition, about 225 homes and businesses in central Phoenix were without power, along with  73 customers in Scottsdale and 38 in Paradise Valley.

Power was expected to be restored by noon Monday in most areas. In Aguila, APS officials estimated it could take until 4 p.m. to restore power. 

About 400 SRP customers were without power in Glendale, Tempe, Scottsdale and Mesa, and the utility said it expected all service to be restored sometime after 10 a.m. Restoring service in the Gold Canyon area could take longer, the utility said. 

2 inches fell in El Mirage

El Mirage reported the most rainfall and road flooding in the Valley, at just over 2 inches, in areas west of the Agua Fria River, according to Flood Control District of Maricopa County maps. 

Parts of Phoenix reported just over an inch of rain. Cave Creek and other areas in the north Valley got a little less.

Far northwest and southwest parts of the Valley got strong winds and lightning and up to a half-inch of rain.

A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for the entire Valley.

The right lanes of eastbound Interstate 10 were flooded near the Seventh Avenue exit, ADOT warned around 11 p.m.

The storm also caused a one-hour ground stop at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, as well as delays and diversions, an airport spokeswoman said.

The National Weather Service tweeted just after 3:45 p.m. that there was a strong storm 20 miles northeast of Globe that was moving westward at 15 mph. 

The tweet said that the storm would likely bring heavy winds and “torrential downpours.” 

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It was the second consecutive day of stormy weather.

Saturday evening’s storms caused nearly 6,000 households to lose power and prompted air traffic controllers to divert some flights bound for Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to airports in Mesa, Tucson and Las Vegas. 

 Cooler temperatures ahead

The National Weather Service in Phoenix said the storms would lead to lower temperatures early this week.

The forecast high for Monday was 95 to 100.

National Weather Service meteorologist James Sawtelle said those temperatures are “well below normal for us” and that the cooler temperatures coupled with cloudy skies and a chance for showers throughout the week would bring the Valley “a little bit of relative reprieve from the heat.”

The Valley has a chance for late afternoon and evening storms every day through the middle of the week, Sawtelle said. 

He encouraged the public to remain vigilant during severe weather. 

“Follow your monsoon season safety guidelines,” Sawtelle said. “If the thunder roars, get indoors. If you see dust, pull aside and stay alive.”

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