Foothills residents still without power, water Monday

Foothills residents were still dealing Monday with the aftermath of Sunday evening's severe thunderstorm that left many people without power or water and in some cases stranded with flooded yards.

It also meant street lights were dark, leaving motorists to the honor system of giving the right of way at intersections. And Foothills-area businesses were shuttered, with the exception of Fry's where the lights, doors and cash registers were being powered by a generator sent down by the corporation.

“We're good,” said Victor Brown, front end manager. “We've restocked our shelves and we're up and running.”

Late Monday morning, the store was bustling with shoppers who were stocking up on water, ice, cool chests and nonperishable food as well as flashlights and candles in anticipation of another storm following on the heels of Sunday's storm system.

“We're stocking up on ice and water and food that won't go bad,” said Shanell Spatig.

Spatig said she had gone for water Sunday evening just as it was starting to sprinkle, unaware a major storm was coming. She filled one of two jugs and decided she needed to head for home as the storm went from “not too bad” to “bad” in about 20 minutes.

Her home wasn't damaged, but family members had suffered uprooted trees and knocked-down fences.

Doris Worland was at a water kiosk on Fortuna Road owned by Diamond Books that was giving the water away at no cost.

“I'll get through this,” Worland said of the lack of water and power at her Foothills home where she was spending her first summer.

“I didn't know what the water situation would be. But I found out when no water was coming out of the faucet.”

As Worland spoke, she was filling every container she had been able to find at home with water so she could flush her toilet.

“I had a lot more bottles,” she said, but had just taken them all to the recycling center last week.

Jim and Brenda Jeffries were also at the kiosk getting water and grateful to Diamond Brooks for making it available.

At home they were better off than some because two generators they had purchased for their travel trailer were powering their house.

Pat Karvoski, a resident of Desert Aire near the Foothills Walmart, had power and water but she had another problem: The yard to her mobile home was flooded, leaving her stranded.

“I can't get out of my home,” she said, a worry because she has a wheelchair-bound woman living with her. Nor can the aides who care for the women get in.

“There's no way I can get her out if I needed to in an emergency,” Karvoski said. “Her wheelchair can't go through the water.”

Southern Yuma County was hard hit by the storm as well.

San Luis City Hall was closed Monday after Sunday's storm left areas of the city without power. Other city departments in San Luis — among them municipal court, the senior center and parks and recreation department — did not lose power and were still functioning.

The city's fire and police departments remained in operation Sunday night and Monday, thanks to emergency generators, said city spokeswoman Karin Meza.

She said Arizona Public Service hoped to have power restored throughout the city by noon Monday.

In Somerton, power was restored to all parts of the city after an outage lasting a couple of hours, said Robby Rodriguez, spokesman for the Somerton/Cocopah Fire Department.

The storm knocked down utility powers in various locations in and around Somerton, among them along Highway 95, the intersection of Somerton Avenue and Fullton Street and on the West and East Cocopah reservations.

The fire department transported several people to Yuma Regional Medical Center for medical conditions resulting from the storm, said Robby Rodriguez, spokesman for the Somerton Cocopah Fire Department. However, there were no storm-related automobile accidents.

Yuma Union High School District schools remained in session on Monday but all extra-curricular activities after school were canceled due to weather related concerns.

“Safety of students is the first concern,” stated YUHSD officials. “Cancellations include all athletic and other practices, and any other meetings or events at campuses.

The cancellation includes all YUHSD campuses: Cibola, Gila Ridge, Kofa, San Luis, Yuma and Vista Alternative.

Other schools that remained in session included campuses within Crane Elementary School District, Yuma Elementary District 1, Arizona Western College, Gadsden Elementary School District, Somerton Elementary School District, Wellton Elementary School District, Mohawk Valley Elementary School and Antelope Union High School District.

Harvest Preparatory Academy campuses in San Luis and Yuma were not open Monday, said Addie Santillan, K-12 instructional coordinator for HPA. But the preschool campus in Yuma was still in session.