PHOENIX – Seven of Arizona's 15 counties have declared states of emergency to qualify for cleanup funding and aid from storm-related damage suffered over the past two weeks.
The northwestern tip of the state and central regions were hit hardest during Tuesday's most recent round of bad weather.
At least a dozen homes were flooded near the rural community of Littlefield, which is located near where the Beaver Dam Wash feeds into the Virgin River.
In Beaver Dam (search), rushing waters ruined the 18-hole Hamilton Ranch Golf Course and wrecked several mobile homes.
"Beaver Dam as we know it is gone," said Tim Stejskal, a course employee.
No injuries were reported, but 14 houses were destroyed or washed away by floods in Beaver Dam. Eight houses in nearby Littlefield also were flooded.
Emergency crews were working to grade a 12-mile dirt road for about 1,400 residents in Beaver Dam who were cut off when the main road washed out at nearby bridge.
The state Department of Environmental Quality and Mohave County Health officials were testing wells in the area to make sure none were contaminated when a sewage plant that serves the community of 1,500 was damaged by flood waters, said Judy Kioski, a spokeswoman for the Arizona Division of Emergency Management (search).
Kioski said state officials had opened a 24-hour command center to coordinate aid. Several counties had also opened emergency centers.
No deaths or serious injuries had been reported.
About 800 residents living east of Tonto Creek in Punkin Center were stuck inside their homes because the creek was too deep to cross.
Mariano Gonzalez, deputy director for the Gila County Emergency Management Department (search), said authorities used Army surplus trucks to deliver food boxes, mail and prescription medication to the stranded residents. Similar drops were made on Monday.
In Paulden, people living in a couple of dozen homes were also stranded as water flowing through the Paulden Wash spread as wide as a quarter mile.
Yavapai County authorities said homes weren't flooded but that the wash was too dangerous to cross. At least two unoccupied cars were swept up in the flood waters.
Meanwhile, officials near Cottonwood prepared to evacuate a few homes along the Verde River, which crested at nearly 16 feet Tuesday night before receding. One nearby mobile home park was asked to voluntarily start moving out trailers.
Authorities near the tourist community of Sedona said the possibility of more flooding in Oak Creek was diminishing Tuesday night.
"At this point, there are not any problems. It's not raining up here," said Sedona Police Cmdr. Rob Johnson.
Johnson said Oak Creek was running at 7 feet late Tuesday and was expected to reach 10 feet before sharply dropping overnight.
Some families had voluntarily left the area, but Sedona officials said the creek was rising at a much slower rate than two weeks ago when it reached 15 feet — one foot above flood stage — and flooding was blamed for two deaths.
Estimates show that recent storms have already caused at least $3 million in damage in the state so far. Roads and bridges had suffered most of the damage.
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