Not always, he said.

“Many of the issues we have addressed are people using apps like Waze, Google Maps, Apple Maps, etc. trying to find alternative routes, especially when highways are closed. , down unmaintained roads and forest service roads, which can be fatal if someone ventures into an unserved, deep-snow area.”

Dick said the people his team rescued on Wednesday weren’t the only visitors to the area that fell behind predictions.

“[On Wednesday] “I was disappointed that the cars that were going to the Grand Canyon had yet to arrive and couldn’t drive through the snowdrift,” Dick said.

Even some drivers who were fully equipped and aware of the dangerous weather needed help this week. A search and rescue team was dispatched to Kendrick Park off Highway 180 after two snowplows were stuck.

According to Coconino County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson John Paxton, search and rescue teams used a snowplow to reach the plow driver and send him safely back to his supervisor.

“We were there for probably about six hours,” said Dick. “they [the drivers] There was a 10 mile road segment that could not be plowed because it tried to enter to plow the 180. I helped the driver of the snowplow and patrol for stranded cars.”

Volunteers did not find any citizens trapped in cars or trucks near Kendrick Park.

Paxton said people in the county should call 911 if they find themselves stranded, in their cars or homes without heat, food or water.

In Munds Park, many people were stranded in the cold due to prolonged power outages. At least it relied on alternative heat sources. That’s why a warming shelter was opened at Manns Park Community Church on Wednesday night.

The Manns Park Warming Refuge, an independent shelter that receives Red Cross assistance in need, served about 10 people on Wednesday. The church was equipped with cots and water and coffee for those who needed to warm up or charge their phones and computers. Volunteers provided refreshments and delivered lunches.

The shelter closed at 1:30 a.m. Thursday after power was restored to the majority of community members who needed it, according to Pastor Steve Bowyer of Munds Park Community Church. However, the three were taken in by volunteers who offered her home as a more comfortable night’s shelter.

By 8am on Thursday, the church’s warming shelter was reopened. APS estimated that nearly 3,000 people still did not have electricity in their neighborhoods at that time. They estimated that power would be restored by noon.

Shortly before 1pm on Thursday, over 2,000 people were still experiencing the outage. By that point, Bowyer estimates that between 50 and 60 people had used the shelter.

Meanwhile, Arizona Public Service crews worked to restore power as quickly as possible while battling snowstorm conditions. through the pocket.

The blackout was caused by high winds pulling debris (often treetops) into power lines. However, the entire neighborhood could not be reactivated at once as the line was restored.

“This is called cold load pickup,” says Del Rincon. Works great when warm. When they’re cold, they can’t pick up the same amount of energy. “

In some places, APS crews have faced drifts as high as 10 feet, Del Rincon said. The team uses tracked vehicles and hikes on foot to repair tracks around the clock, he added Del Rincon.

The job is hard and APS employees have to drive snow.

“The big thing about Mann’s Park is that the crew is still there working around the clock,” says Del Rincon. “We are working until we have all of our last customers back.”

Bowyer expected power to be restored gradually by 7 p.m. Thursday.

Whether or not it will turn on after that depends on the weather.

Residents of Munds Park are experiencing power outages. This winter is not the first time a local church has opened its doors as a global warming haven.

“When we opened last month, we had to dig people out to get here. No deep snow this time. That could be a problem later today,” Bowyer said Thursday morning. . “So far, people have been able to get here.”

Still, Bowyer said, there were volunteers waiting for diesel trucks and neighbors ready to come to the shelter to work shifts and bring in snacks and other supplies. Volunteers worked in shifts and set aside time to start fires in their homes. Many of them were also affected by power outages.

“There are more volunteers here than people needing to warm up,” said Bowyer, describing the community of people at Manns Park.