With support from Coconino County, the Pinewood Fire Department has provided approximately 400 sandbags to the Manns Park community in anticipation of an accelerated thaw this weekend.
With the National Weather Service calling for rain in northern Arizona on Friday and Saturday, the potential for snow-laden rain-related flooding isn’t an idle threat in Manns Park, where there’s still plenty of white on the ground. .
“If you go out in the middle of the golf course, it’s probably about 18 inches,” Pinewood Fire Chief Josh Torp said of the remaining snow. “There’s still an eight-foot berm here.”
Tope said even a small amount of rain can accelerate snowmelt, and Manns Park residents are well aware of how it can overwhelm the area’s drainage system.
“Our golf course, the low-lying areas of the park, are filling up the drainage channels,” Tope said. “Houses around these areas tend to have water in their yards, and they probably have water in their homes as well.”
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With great care, the Pinewood Fire Department recovered four pallets of sandbags from Coconino County and placed them for pickup at Manns Park Community Church. Torpe encouraged residents concerned about potential flooding to use sandbags at their own discretion.
“We started with four palettes and will continue to monitor. [Thursday and Friday]said Tope. If you need more, get more and bring it out. ”
In addition to the potential rain forecast for this weekend, the National Weather Service is also forecasting normal to above-normal temperatures, with highs above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
“This increase in moisture could lead to increased snowmelt and increased river/stream flow,” reports the NWS. “We will see another short dry period as a ridge forms in the southwest from Sunday afternoon through Tuesday morning, but another storm system looks set to bring additional chances of precipitation by midweek. .”
