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Storm drops record rainfall, zaps substation
Water park closed Sat. to remove debris
Friday's thunderstorm dumped 1.66 inches of rain on the Yuma area knocking out a neighborhood substation, leaving over 3,000 homes without power and breaking a rainfall record for the day.
APS spokesman Steven Gotfried reported that power was restored to most by a little after midnight early Saturday morning and the remaining 50 customers were restored at about 5 a.m.
The two affected areas included 2nd to 12th streets from Avenue B to Avenue A and 10th to 16th streets between 14th Avenue and 2nd Avenue.
“The APS crews did a great job, they took everyone who goes through that substation and now had them go through the Quechan substation,” he said.
Customers were asked to reduce their electric use for four hours on Saturday between Colorado Street and 24th Street from Avenue C to Arizona Avenue in attempt to avoid potential power outages.
Gotfried estimated that the 10th Street substation would be up and running before Sunday.
According to the National Weather Service in Phoenix, Yuma received 1.66 inches of rain Friday night between approximately 7:30 and 10 p.m.
NWS Meterologist Marvin Tercha said that the rainfall set a daily record for the day, but not for the year.
The highest one-day total rainfall for Yuma was 3.98 inches on Sept. 25, 1997.
Tercha estimated that rain Saturday evening would not approach the amount of rainfall on Friday.
“Currently all the action is to the north and the northeast of Yuma,” he said.
Temperatures will continue to be below average for this time of year until the end of next week where they will climb a bit above average, Tercha forcasted.
Due to storm debris and dirt from Friday's thunderstorm, Waylon's Water World closed its doors on Saturday so crews could clean up the facility.
Z Fun Factory manager Ricardo Garcia said that because all the water recycles through from the lazy river, employees had to clean it all out before opening up again. He estimated that the facility will be open and operational for normal business hours on Sunday from 10 a.m. until 30 minutes before dusk.
