Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs declared a statewide state of emergency Monday after days of historic rain sent Oak Creek roaring through Sedona and forced evacuations and helicopter rescues across the northern half of the state, according to KJZZ.
The declaration unlocks $200,000 in state emergency funds for local flood response and recovery, KJZZ reported. Hobbs is directing the money to the Arizona Division of Emergency Management to coordinate a response and recovery plan, according to the station. The storms followed 72 hours of historic rainfall that began Oct. 30, KJZZ said, and the state says seven counties and five tribal nations have been impacted.
20 people rescued during weekend floods. Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) Ranger helicopter crews conducted 27 rescue missions across Arizona over the weekend in response to severe weather and flooding.
On November 1, Ranger 3 assisted the Sedona Fire District in… pic.twitter.com/novDR3LSb0
— Dept. of Public Safety (@Arizona_DPS) November 2, 2026
Helicopter rescues along Oak Creek
The Arizona Department of Public Safety said its Ranger helicopter crews flew 27 rescue missions across the state over the weekend. On Nov. 1, the Ranger 3 crew helped the Sedona Fire District rescue and extract 18 people along Oak Creek using short-haul operations, the department said in a Monday release. Two more rescues were carried out in Southern Arizona at the request of the Pima County Sheriff’s Office, bringing the DPS total to 20 people, according to the agency.
The Sedona Fire Department says its crews pulled about 40 people to safety on Sunday, FOX 10 Phoenix reported. KNAU reported that rising water trapped people in their homes and that some were lifted off rooftops by helicopter.
The flood numbers were staggering for a desert creek. KNAU reported that Oak Creek rose from about 3 feet to 18 feet and that more than 100 homes in Sedona were evacuated. According to the National Weather Service, the creek’s flow hit roughly 20,000 cubic feet per second Sunday evening, KNAU said, compared with the roughly 200 cubic feet per second that is more typical there.
“The one word that keeps coming through is unprecedented,” Coconino County emergency management director Tim Carter told KNAU.
Residents return to mud and sinkholes
By Monday, residents of Red Rock Crossing Village were returning to homes coated in mud and debris, FOX 10 Phoenix reported. “My house has got about a foot of mud in the back. Every single room in the house has mud on the floor,” resident Cindy Wilmer told the station. “It makes me want to cry. A lot of us have lived here for a really long time. We’ve never seen anything like this.”
Neighbors showed up with shovels and shop vacs to help clear out flooded houses, according to FOX 10. As of 4:45 p.m. local time Monday, the city of Sedona said residents in most evacuated areas could return home but would need to show proof of residency at police checkpoints, the station reported.
Roads closed, state crews stretched
Apache, Gila and Yavapai counties and the cities of Camp Verde, Prescott and Sedona have declared their own emergencies, KJZZ reported, and Winslow, Cottonwood and Camp Verde were also under evacuation. Several highways remain closed, including State Route 87 near Winslow and State Route 89A between Sedona and Kachina Village, according to KJZZ.
The Arizona Department of Transportation has exceeded its capacity for debris removal, response and traffic control and needs support from the Federal Highway Administration, KJZZ reported.
KNAU also reported that emergency responders were searching for a man who disappeared into floodwaters south of downtown Flagstaff on Sunday. Officials have not released an update on that search.
DPS urged Arizonans to watch forecasts closely and stay out of waterways, canyons and low-lying areas during heavy rain, warning that conditions can change rapidly and become life-threatening.
Sources
Sources cited
- https://www.azdps.gov/1149
- https://www.kjzz.org/politics/2026-11-02/hobbs-declares-statewide-state-of-emergency-over-flash-floods
- https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/sedona-flooding-dozens-rescued-residents-return-mud-sinkholes
- https://www.knau.org/knau-and-arizona-news/2026-11-02/oak-creek-reaches-nearly-18-feet-as-unprecedented-flooding-strikes-region
Sources
- Original post: Dept. of Public Safety (@Arizona_DPS) on X, Nov 2, 2026
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