The Coconino County Flood Control District will present to the board on Tuesday the results of a pair of studies predicting post-wildfire flooding risk in Flagstaff's Rio de Flag watershed. KNAU's Melissa Sevigny reports.
JE Fuller Hydrology modeled various scenarios of rainfall events in the San Francisco Mountains burn scar. The study found that flows in Rio de Flag can increase three to six times through downtown Flagstaff and 31 times in the Fort Valley area.
Northern Arizona University calculated economic losses from these scenarios, including evacuation costs and loss of property value. The study estimates that a single rain-induced small fire can cost $535 million. In a more severe scenario, the cost would rise to nearly 3 billion.
The scenario was calibrated using data from recent museum and pipeline fires. Officials say this modeling will help prioritize areas for forest restoration.
