Flash floods tear across Arizona desert

Just outside the town of Mayer, Arizona, north of Phoenix, came a wall of water, mud and debris. Campers scrambled as the flood wiped out their gear. It's been an active week of weather throughout the Southwest, with rain, floods and powerful winds uprooting trees. Carter Evans has more.

[rainyrrrr]

I like rain myself, but stay away from dry Creek beds though, because you never no.

[brisbanekilarny]

Typical spring weather here in Missouri. The water dumps on an area and the creeks flood. It is not unusual to get 3 to 5 inches of rain in two hours or less.

[bernardfinucane]

Which came first, the flash flood or the desert?

[derekwhite]

Why would you set up camp in a dry creek bed... I hope more people research before going to places like this.

[eltigre]

What part of "Never camp in a dry wash" didn't those campers understand?

[zahirshah]

What if you start firing at that flood? Can you stop that?

[katewizer]

Here in the southwest many a tourist has been killed by poor judgement on where to set up camp, or hiking in too deep a gully.

[wadeolder]

Yes always camp out in a dry river bed. Especially during monsoon season in Arizona. Idiots.

[Utubin]

Thank you to the Helicopter pilot who landed and saved those campers.🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[billfry]

Just to set the record straight we weren’t camping. Ray and myself were prospecting and digging good gold. The easy ups were for shade not sleeping in. As far as the pilot landing and checking on us after we got out is a joke. It never He did fly over us circling for what seemed like hours to get good footage for the news but no speaker or warning from him. The chopper was white with no markings whatsoever and if I had not gone up to see if the Sheriff was there I would of been toast. Ray is a lot thinner and quicker than me. They don’t show you that after the initial 1 to 2 feet of water that pushes all the debris out of the way it rises to approximately 10 feet in a matter of seconds depending on the wash it’s in. Oh by the way this was Big Bug Creek, 2 miles east outside Cordes Lakes

[lohkoonhoong]

Nature's power is a powerful beat.

[kurtkaster]

Watched 12 of these videos, there's a tire washing down in almost every one. Sad.

[oldiesmusic]

It's not a WALL of water, it's a flow!!

[IBRAKEFORBEDROCK]

Those were prospectors lookin for gold

[cookiecream]

OMG I JUST GOT A FLASH FLOOD WARNING (NO JOKE!!)

[BigGoldenYoshiFan]

It's a wash path what you expect, it channels water.

[memorystar]

CBS Evening News
THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR VIDEO (MEMORYSTAR)
💕❤THANKS AGAIN ❤💕

[palmlanes]

I hike there all the time never had an issue thanks to my god

[mauriceupton]

Local Gov't just need to build flood swales and dams.
Not expensive just requires holistic management.

[tmb]

Thank Zeus, Thor or Poseidon ... or one (or some!) of the other THOUSANDS of invisible friends with super powers .... for taking immediate action and getting those campers out of there!
Superstitions and severe cognitive dissonance are SO helpful!