COCONINO COUNTY — The Coconino County Flood Control District (FCD) and the City of Flagstaff are helping Museum Flood area residents prepare for the 2020 monsoon season by placing pallets of new sandbags throughout the neighborhoods, which residents can use to repair their sandbag walls.The sandbag placement will run through June 17, 2020.
Coconino County Public Works began distributing the pallets of new sandbags on Wednesday placing replacement sandbags along Paradise Drive and Grandview Drive and throughout Sunnyside by the end of this week. The County will also place a pallet of sandbags at the entry of the Mount Elden Estates development. A flyer in English and Spanish was mailed to area residents and property owners on Tuesday.
“Coming off of the driest monsoon season ever, it’s critical for Museum-area residents to remember that the threat of monsoon flooding is real and will remain for years to come,” said Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Liz Archuleta, whose district includes the Sunnyside area. “The distribution of pallets with sandbags is a great opportunity for residents to get their sandbag walls ready before monsoon season to help mitigate the impacts of flash flooding.” Chairwoman Archuleta added that the FCD strongly recommends that flood mitigation like sandbags and barriers remain in place at least through the 2020 monsoon season, which officially runs from June 15 through September 30, and encourages Museum Flood area property owners to purchase and maintain flood insurance. Furthermore, residents are strongly encouraged to sign up for Emergency Notifications through www.coconino.az.gov/ready or by calling the County’s Emergency Management Department at 928-679-8311.
The maintenance of sandbag walls is exclusively the responsibility of property owners. Elderly or disabled residents who require assistance repairing their sandbag walls can call (928) 679-8525 from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Empty sandbags can be put in trash receptacles; however, filled sandbags cannot be put in City trash cans or placed curbside for City bulk pickup. Sandbags can either be taken to the Cinder Lake Landfill at 6770 Landfill Road or, if they are in good shape, returned to the sandbag station at 2625 N. King Street. Damaged sandbags also can be cut open so that the cinders can be spread in unpaved portions of properties such as driveways or in garden areas. Please do not dump the cinders in the street gutters. For a flyer with more information please visit www.coconino.az.gov/MuseumFloodAreaSandbags.