When strong storms bring tons of precipitation, they can mean serious business for areas prone to overflowing with rain. Monsoon storms flooded low-water crossings near Miami, Arizona, earlier this week and cut off access between some rural communities and the town. No injuries were reported, according to AZFamily, but a vehicle was washed away in the roaring waters.
One video provided by a viewer showed an ATV flipped over and washing downstream in the creek. No injuries were connected to the ATV, which may have been parked too close to the water. But you can see in the water how the overturned vehicle simply helplessly floats along, with no real way to keep it from being washed further down the water.
By evening, according to AZFamily, the creek had receded from its peak, though it was still flowing. Water levels didn’t approach those recorded during last September’s deadly flooding in the Globe-Miami area. But it was still serious enough to be able to wash away a literal vehicle that had just been someone’s property on the road hours earlier.
The storms arrived days after the Federal Emergency Management Agency denied Arizona’s appeal for a major disaster declaration tied to that earlier flooding. Crews have spent recent months dredging the creek to reduce the risk of future flooding. But there’s no guarantee that they can act against it the next time.
The Area Has No Federal Disaster Aid
These types of incidents aren’t surprising for this area, but there’s no aid from FEMA to help. Arizona formally requested a major disaster declaration on October 24, 2025, which was denied that December. FEMA said that state and local governments could handle the recovery on their own. There was an appeal on January 16, 2026, and on July 2 the agency notified the state that the appeal had been denied as well, reaffirming its finding that the flooding was “not of such severity and magnitude that warrants a major disaster declaration,” AZFamily reported.
A major disaster declaration would have covered up to 90% of eligible costs for communities like Globe, and without one the reimbursement drops to about 75% through the state, according to AZFamily’s earlier reporting. The Arizona Legislature has since directed $10 million from a state flood assistance fund to the area, with $2.5 million each for Globe and Miami and $5 million for Gila County.
Work on Pinal Creek continues through a federal watershed program aimed at limiting damage the next time water comes off the mountain. So in the future, if there’s something like this ATV disaster and additional flooding happens, perhaps there will be some assistance to reduce its severity the next time.