5 Years Later: Remembering Anthem’s Thousand-Year Storm
In the past five years, Anthem hasn’t seen anything like the howling winds and torrential downpour that struck on July 31, 2012. And statistically speaking, it’s unlikely to happen again anytime soon.
Weather experts dubbed the event a once-in-1,000-year rain catastrophe. The monsoon storm blew in and essentially parked over the town, dumping up to 5.01 inches of rain in 90 minutes, according to the Maricopa County Flood Control District.
The storm, in classic monsoon style, delivered sporadic impacts. While roads and backyards were flooded in much of the town as trees and even decades-old saguaros fell in the wind, the far eastern part of Anthem saw few significant effects. And in Tramonto, many residents weren’t even aware a storm had blown through.
STORM STORIES
Readers Share Their 2012 Storm Memories on Facebook
“There was a ton of concrete debris and re-bar in the water with me…” — Jeannette Feeley
“…Someone’s big pool umbrella was bouncing everywhere down the street crashing into cars and breaking windows.” — Sara Phillippi Stites
“Trapped inside Walmart. … a huge gust of wind pulled part of the roof up…” — Anna Elizabeth Bender
“I was that guy on the motorcycle stuck on the side of the road between Daisy Mountain and Anthem Way.” — Stan Broumley
Some facts, photos & videos:
- Wind gusts exceeded 60 mph.
- 176 trees were lost, just on Anthem Community Council property.
- Three Anthem homes were damaged by floodwaters as high as 3 feet inside the houses.
This article first published on Anthem News.
