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Monsoon comes back with a vengeance

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The monsoon came back with a vengeance on Tuesday morning.

The Tucson Fire Department was kept busy with 75 weather related calls in two hours.

Of the 75 calls, 8 were for swift water rescues, and approximately 45 were for stranded vehicles stuck in water at various locations around the city, according to Capt. Baker with the Tucson Fire Department.
 
 
The most serious of the swift water calls took place near Ft. Lowell and Oracle as an SUV was swept about an 1/8 of a mile down a wash and ended up being pinned against the concrete bridge area that passes underneath Oracle Road.
 
 
The water was up the windshield level of the SVU as crews arrived.
 
The driver side was pinned against the bridge and the passenger side was taking the full force of the water so crews had to break open the rear window of the vehicle and pull the occupant out of the back, said Baker.

 

 

The majority of the water related calls were on the west side of the city, ranging from roughly Country Club to I-10 and from Congress to Prince. While there were several close calls, there were no injuries reported from any of the incidents that crews responded to.

 

 

 

 

Capt. Baker and the Tucson Fire Department have a few reminders for the public  during monsoon:

  • Most flash flood deaths occur in vehicles
  • Moving water 1-2 feet deep will carry away most vehicles and can knock a person off their feet
  • Keep children away from creeks and washes when heavy rain is in the area
  • Be especially careful at night when water depth and road conditions are harder to see
And most importantly, when in doubt, wait it out.
 
Pima County released a list of roads that motorist should avoidwhen storms move through the area:
 
  • Andrada Road east of Wentworth Road
  • Avra Valley Road (all)
  • Camino de Oeste from Gates Pass Road to Sweetwater Drive
  • Camino Loma Alta at the Rincon Creek
  • Camino Verde from Valencia Road to Bilby Road-Black Wash
  • CDO Wash at Wilds Road in Town of Catalina
  • Contractor’s Way (all)
  • Country Club Road at the Franco Wash
  • Drexel Road just east of Alvernon Way
  • Freeman Road between Broadway and Old Spanish Trail
  • Ft. Lowell Road from Conestoga Avenue to Melpomene
  • Gates Pass Road (all)
  • Harrison Road at Pantano Wash
  • Houghton Road between Andrada and Sahuarita Road
  • Ironwood Hills Drive from Shannon Road to Camino de Oeste
  • Kinney Road (all)
  • Limberlost Road from Soldier Trail to Homestead Avenue
  • Manville Road between Reservation Road and Avra Road
  • Mark Road from Jeffery Road to Los Reales Road
  • Mission Road from Drexel Road to San Xavier Roads
  • Old Spanish Trail Road from Jeremy Wash east to Camino Loma Alta Road
  • Old Vail Connection Road at the Franco Wash
  • Overton Road at Cañada del Oro Wash
  • Pump Station Road (all)
  • Rinconada Road south from Andrada to Sahuarita Road
  • River Road from Sabino Canyon Road to First Avenue
  • Sahuarita Road between Houghton Road and Country Club Road
  • Sandario Road (all)
  • Silverbell Road from Sweetwater Road to Ina Road
  • Snyder Hill Road (all)
  • Snyder Road from Kolb Road to Sabino Canyon Road
  • Soldiers Trail from Limberlost Road to Thunderbird Trail
  • Summit Street at the Franco Wash
  • Sunset Road from Camino De Oeste to Saguaro National Monument
  • Tangerine Road from the Santa Cruz River to Sweetwater Drive
  • Tanque Verde Loop from Tanque Verde Road to Speedway
  • Tanque Verde Road from Houghton Road to Redington Pass
  • Valencia Road from Aj

Stay with KGUN 9 First Warning Weather for the latest on today's developing storms at 5, 6, and 10.