State recovery teams are preparing to hand flood recovery operations back to the City of Globe on Sunday, marking a key step in the community’s rebound after severe flooding swept through the area late last month.
The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM) announced that its Incident Management Team (IMT) will transition oversight back to city officials after a week of cleanup and stabilization work. Before the handoff, crews spent Saturday clearing woody debris from Six Shooter, Icehouse, and Kellner Canyons to improve water drainage and prevent future blockages.
The flooding, which began on Sept. 26, followed more than 2.5 inches of rain in a single day—overwhelming creeks, roads, and downtown Globe. In response, Gov. Katie Hobbs declared a state of emergency for Gila County, activating state resources to support local efforts.
“The amount of work put in by resources over the last week is truly remarkable,” said IMT Commander John Truett. “With a majority of that work completed, we feel comfortable to hand the incident back to local officials.”
The DFFM reported significant progress over the past week. Crews recovered 66 vehicles displaced by floodwaters—five of which belonged to a local auto dealership—and removed nearly 88,000 cubic yards of sediment and 288 tons of debris from yards, creeks, and roadways. Heavy equipment was also used to retrieve around 800 propane tanks washed away from a nearby distribution site, though additional tanks remain in outlying areas.
While the immediate crisis has subsided, recovery work continues. Search and rescue operations concluded midweek, with officials confirming three deaths linked to the flooding.
