Carrera Elite
Libra
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Glendale,AZ
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1990 Carrera 23.5 Classic
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Posted: Oct. 16 2006,9:02 am |
Post # 1 |
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Dozens stranded by storm along Colorado River
BOULDER CITY, Nev. (AP) — Park rangers rescued dozens of stranded visitors at the popular Willow Beach and Black Canyon areas on the Arizona side of the Colorado River Saturday after a strong storm lashed the region.
Officials with the National Parks Service said they rescued 36 boaters in Black Canyon whose tents, kayaks and canoes were washed away during hours of wind and rain overnight.
Another two dozen fishermen and boaters were cut off at the Willow Beach area when heavy rains caused severe road damage, said Roxanne Dey, a spokeswoman for the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. No one was reported injured or missing.
The tourists were being driven up the damaged road in 4-wheel-drive vehicles Saturday afternoon and were to be bused to Boulder City, Dey said.
The storm that moved into the area late Friday brought up to 2 inches of rain to the area around Lake Mead, said Charlie Schlott, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Las Vegas. Winds in excess of 50 mph were common.
The same storm system pummeled Needles, Calif., late Friday, knocking out power, and police in Bullhead City, Ariz., reported that a large circus tent had blown over, Schlott said.
The Mohave County, Ariz. sheriff's office reported that a thunderstorm downed power lines and numerous trees just before dawn Saturday. Sheriff's spokeswoman Trish Carter said some structures were damaged in the town of Mohave Valley and county roads flooded. Power was coming back on in some homes at mid-morning Saturday and expected to be fully restored by Saturday evening.
The sheriff's office and Mohave Valley Fire Department activated their joint emergency operations center. No injuries were reported from the storm. More rain was forecast Saturday afternoon in Mohave County and southeastern Nevada.
The storm brought up to 1 1/2 inches of rain in Flagstaff, Ariz. and a tornado warning was briefly issued Saturday morning, but no damage was reported. In Phoenix, the weather service recorded about .07 of an inch of rain as of 7 a.m., with up to an inch in higher elevations north of the city. Areas of southern Arizona also received scattered rainfall.
The chance of rain across Arizona will diminish significantly Sunday, forecasters said.
Black Canyon, where the kayakers were stranded, runs from the Hoover Dam 13 miles south to Willow Beach and is the most popular part of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area for canoeing, rafting, hiking and fishing, Dey said. Half-day river rafting trips launch there and have been canceled for at least two days.
Heavy rain is not uncommon in the region and hikers and boaters need to be aware of the forecast and take appropriate precautions when warnings are issued, Schlott said.
"A few years back around Nelson's Landing they had a similar situation that killed 10 or 15 people," Schlott said. "It looks very tranquil and everything to begin with but when these storms roll in they're nothing to fool with."
It could be days before the road to Willow Beach is reopened, Dey said. The St. Thomas Road just north of Overton Beach Marina in Nevada also was washed out Saturday morning. There were no reports of injuries or missing visitors, Dey said.
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