By Linda Kor The monsoon season is hitting hard in Navajo County with heavy rainfall through most of last week and more rain expected later this week in some areas. Last week Navajo County Emergency Management issued evacuation orders for parts of Snowflake, Taylor and Shumway and had the City of Winslow on alert due to the rising waters at the levee. Most affected flood areas included Indian Route 71, Birdsprings and Little Singer School to the north, and Shumway, Taylor, Millet Swale, Snowflake, Pinedale, Heber and White Mountain Lake to the south. Also impacted was the Winslow Levee, with over 1.50” of rainfall reported, came dangerously close to breach before the waters receded. Roads also were closed in the area include a stretch of McLaws Road in Holbrook. The Navajo County Public Works crew worked in partnership with Navajo County Sheriff’s Office to remove road debris, control traffic, remove silt and blade wash out gravel roads and driveways as waters recede. The Red Cross set up shelter at Holbrook High School and livestock was being sheltered at the Navajo County Fairgrounds as residents in low lying areas were evacuated. To assist residents, Navajo County Emergency Preparedness provides daily updates on its Facebook page and staged sandbag operations throughout the county.
