Micro-burst Storm in Arizona
On August 2, 2018, a micro-burst storm hit Estrella Mountain Ranch in Goodyear, Arizona. The citizens of Estrella Mountain Ranch experienced harsh landscape, roof, and infrastructure damage. It may take months to fully repair the homes. Gratefully, there were no reports of injuries due to this storm. The immediate impact to all residents was the loss of power and the hazards on the roadways due to fallen trees and debris. Three 500 000-volt transmission towers failed and collapsed. There were 1034 trees down in common areas, 71 damaged cement walls (fences), and damage to the community recreation centre, The Presidio Resident’s Club. The damage to The Presidio Residents Club consisted of broken windows, water damage to the gym, and severe damage to the rooftop tiles. Twelve of the most severely affected families received help from the Red Cross.
Analysis of geographical spheres.
The Hydrosphere is interacting with the citizens (biosphere) and the land (lithosphere) due to the micro-burst storm. The micro-burst storm creates sudden flooding which is alleviated by man made catch basins. Because Arizona doesn’t get much rain, the houses don’t have any gutters to drain away the rain. During storms, flooding is always a possibility for residents. The water (hydrosphere) is interacting with the ground (lithosphere) because the water tries to penetrate the soil, but it can’t since the ground is so hard. This interaction leads to greater effects of flooding. The roads also don’t have storm drains because of the limited amount of rain in Arizona. Flooding on the roads makes transportation for people (biosphere) a lot more difficult. The hydrosphere is also interacting with the biosphere when the flooding provides the plants with extra needed water. You can also see the interaction between the biosphere and the lithosphere when the wind from the storm is up rooting trees from the ground.
As the micro-burst storm hit Estrella Mountain Ranch, the residents began responding to the situation. The citizens were shocked with the amount of rain and wind that they had received. Since there was so much rain and wind the citizens were initially staying inside their houses until the storm ended. The citizens who needed to drive had to be very cautious because of all the trees and debris on the roads. The people that had the largest amounts of damage to their homes got support from the Red Cross who was set up at the Estrella Foothills High School. The citizens were advised to check on their elderly and disabled neighbours around them to see if they were okay. When people lost power in their homes due to the storm, some people who had generators put them to use. As people began assessing the damage to their homes and their belongings, they began contacting their insurance companies. Once the storm ended and the immediate problems were resolved, home owners began the big clean up of their yards and homes.
The citizens of Estrella Mountain Ranch received three extra bulk trash pick-up days to deal with the extra garden debris from the storm. Extra Contractors have also been hired to remove common area fallen trees and debris, and to also repair common area walls. Since three transmission towers fell, construction workers have built temporary towers that will be replaced by spring 2019. This storm has made me feel sorry for the citizens of Estrella Mountain Ranch because they had absolutely no control over the situation of the storm, and it wasn’t at all their fault. I think the citizens of Estrella Mountain Ranch are doing a good job recovering from the effects of the micro-burst storm.
https://youtu.be/YXj_26Y0hfA (author: Miscelánea Noticias, published on Aug 4, 2018)
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/video/monsoon-flooding-in-arizona-seen-as-a-100-year-event-737673795998 (author: NBC News)
https://www.azfamily.com/archives/video-srp-transmission-towers-topple-over-during-monsoon-in-estrella/video_e9cf1db4-1e0e-5108-b6c0-1e519e64114a.html (author: azfamily.com, posted on Aug 3, 2018)
Community News & Updates (author: Estrella Joint Committee, published August 7, 2018, August 14, 2018, August 17, 2018 and August 24, 2018)
Community News & Updates
August 7, 2018
| How Are You After the Storm? |
| We hope this email newsletter finds you well. Although our community received some significant damage due to last Thursday’s monsoon storm, we are so grateful that no injuries were reported among our residents. We were sorry to hear about the stories of downed trees and damaged homes.
We wish you the best with your insurance claims and repairs. Please submit work orders to us via the Estrella website (login access required) or in person at the Community Services Office at Starpointe.
The Estrella Community Services Office has received many inquiries from you about the regular compliance violation letter timeline in relation to storm damaged areas.
In our conversations with insurance adjusters and tradesmen, we are hearing that it may take months for our residents to fully repair their homes. With that said, please rest assured that we will work with our residents during this challenging time.
If you live in neighborhoods outside of storm damaged areas, please continue to abide by our community standards.
If you have any questions, please contact our office at (623) 386-1112.
Sincerely,
Estrella Management |
AFTER THE STORM
Last week, Estrella and the Southwest Valley was hit by a micro-burst storm that caused severe landscape, infrastructure and roof damage throughout the community, and downed power lines and an unknown number of SRP towers. Thankfully, no injuries have been reported.
Estrella management would like to thank our partners – Four Peaks Landscape Management, the City of Goodyear, Summit Restoration, SRP, American Red Cross and Newland Communities – who have been working diligently to clear roads, coordinate with SRP and collaborate with emergency services to support residents and continue the storm cleanup process in Estrella.
We will keep you up-to-date on the progress of these efforts through email newsletters like this one, the @LifeInEstrella Facebook and Twitter pages and on Next Door for the Estrella community.
Below you will find an updated list of Estrella storm related information.
AFTER THE STORM
Last week, Estrella and the Southwest Valley was hit by a micro-burst storm that caused severe landscape, infrastructure and roof damage throughout the community, and downed power lines and an unknown number of SRP towers. Thankfully, no injuries have been reported.
Estrella management would like to thank our partners – Four Peaks Landscape Management, the City of Goodyear, Summit Restoration, SRP, American Red Cross and Newland Communities – who have been working diligently to clear roads, coordinate with SRP and collaborate with emergency services to support residents and continue the storm cleanup process in Estrella.
We will keep you up-to-date on the progress of these efforts through email newsletters like this one, the @LifeInEstrella Facebook and Twitter pages and on Next Door for the Estrella community.
Below you will find an updated list of Estrella storm related information.
CLOSURES
Presidio remains closed until further notice. This closure includes Casa Del Mar, the gym and pool.
WHAT IS OPEN
Starpointe Residents Club, Lakeside Grill, Splash!
Golf Club of Estrella (front 9 holes only), and Grill
ROAD CLOSURES
The wires crossing Westar will be raised and the barricades closing the road will be picked up today. There may be continued local street restrictions over the next few days until all the SRP work is complete.
UTILITY RESOURCES
Police non-emergency 623-932-1220
Fire non-emergency 623-932-2300
SRP 602-236-8811
Southwest Gas Co. 602-861-1999
City of Goodyear (water, sewer, trash) 623-932-3010
HOA WORK ORDERS (623) 386-1112
EVENTS
ALL Presidio scheduled events are suspended at this time until further notice. Some classes are being temporarily scheduled at Starpointe, please call (623) 386-1949 or contact your Presidio instructors for more information.
OPT-IN for REVERSE 9-1-1 EMERGENCY NOTICES
City of Goodyear Bulk Pick-Up
City of Goodyear streets crews are focusing on clearing the right of way and Goodyear Public Works will be in Zones A and B this week for bulk collection.
As a reminder:
- Brush should be cut to 4′ lengths.
- Grass clippings placed out for bulk collection must be double bagged or in sealed cardboard boxes.
- Cacti must be placed in sealed boxes to prevent injury to workers.
- Place bulk trash in the street, next to the curb in front of your property. Do not place bulk materials in any manner that will interfere with or be hazardous to pedestrians or vehicles. All items should be placed away from electrical boxes, cable boxes, mailboxes, poles, water meters and existing landscape.
- Placing bulk trash outside too early before the collection day has the potential to create a mess and invite animals, in addition to detracting from the aesthetics of the community. Residents are asked to place their bulk out on the curb or alley seven calendar days prior to your collection or by 6:00 AM on the day of collection.
· It is the resident’s responsibility to clean up small debris that may remain after collection.
Please note: Per Goodyear city code, any items resulting from any contracted work or services shall not be placed for bulk pickup, including those items resulting from work or services conducted on behalf of the city’s sanitation customer.
The following items are not accepted for City of Goodyear bulk trash collections: Hazardous materials, large auto parts, boats, tires, oil, rocks, dirt, material from construction repair or demolition such as roofing materials, drywall, and concrete. Brush should be cut to 4’ lengths. Cacti must be placed in sealed boxes, grass clippings and leaves must be double-bagged or contained in sealed boxes.
If you have questions, please contact the Compliance division at the Estrella Community Services Office
(623) 386-1112.
Thank you for your attention to these bulk trash and storm debris notes.
Community News & Updates
August 14, 2018
| AFTER THE STORM: Storm Update |
GENERAL INFORMATION
August 2 storm clean-up is approximately at 35% completion. Four Peaks Landscaping started at he north end of the community from San Miguel going south on Westar. Depending on availability from other communities, 3-5 crews are working on clean-up. (We share Four Peaks with their other community clients.) Crews will continue working their Estrella routes going south neighborhood by neighborhood until completion. Stump removal will start after the cleanup. There is no estimate of absolute completion, however, crews are aiming for 2-3 weeks.
PRESIDIO
We are receiving many calls inquiring about the reopening of the Fitness Center at Presidio. Until further notice, the Presidio Fitness Center remains closed due to the significant damage sustained from the August 2 storm. Fitness Center damage is being assessed and when repair is complete, a reopening date will be announced here and on social media (Life In Estrella on Facebook and Twitter.) Please share this note with your Estrella friends and neighbors.
TODAY’S STORM STATS
1,034 trees down in common areas
71 walls damaged
12 families received assistance from Red Cross
Presidio had broken windows and water damage in the gym area
3 SRP towers came down and temporary towers have been built
Photo Credit: Brittany Meola
Community News & Updates
August 17, 2018
AFTER THE STORM: Work Orders Update
If you are calling our offices or completing Community Concern forms (work orders) for the first time to report damage from the August 2 monsoon, please make sure all contact information you leave with us is accurate. We will respond within 24-hours (Monday through Friday.)
Evaluation by the community’s insurer of all damage done by the monsoon is in process. Homeowners should contact their insurer to report any storm damage to their property.
Repair to common area walls that were damaged by wind or fallen community trees has begun. The most severely damaged walls are being worked on. Additional contractors have been hired, but we cannot give a time frame for individual wall repair.
The community’s landscape contractors are clearing HOA (community owned) trees neighborhood-by- neighborhood, from north to south. HOA trees leaning on walls have been assessed and will be removed when the landscapers reach your neighborhood.
Violation notices will not be issued for tree debris left for pick-up. If you live in storm damaged areas, please continue to abide by our community standards.
At this time, Estrella Golf Course crews are clearing trees throughout the course and Estrella’s outside maintenance team is clearing trees and debris around the lakes. We cannot yet give time frames for completion of this work, and tree stumps will be removed at a later date.
We truly appreciate your patience as we work through the community-wide damage caused by the storm.
Thank you.
Estrella Management
Photo Credit: Brittany Meola
Community News & Updates
August 24, 2018
| More Storm Recovery Information |
The August 2 monsoon storm caused significant damage to HOA and homeowner property, and thankfully, no one was injured. As ot today, we’ve received 90 calls reporting trees on fences or walls, and over 1,000 HOA trees were knocked down or severely damaged. Community Services Office staff have processed approximately 211 Community Concern work order forms/phone calls. The City of Goodyear added three extra bulk trash pick-up dates to collect storm debris, SRP distributed a letter to residents estimating that temporary power lines will be up until spring of 2019. Four Peaks Landscape Management continues to work in neighborhoods and main arteries breaking down trees fallen in the storm.
ADDITIONAL BULK PICK-UP DATES Announced
From the City of Goodyear on August 22:
“Bulk trash crews continue to deal with the extensive needs in Estrella that were caused by the monsoon storm events earlier this month. The scale of debris in Estrella has impacted other scheduled routes as crews spent more time in Estrella due to the debris being significantly beyond normal quantities. The staff enrolled assistance from other areas in the city as well as requested help from the city of Avondale, who assisted us for a few days immediately after the storms. We have since resumed our normal route schedule and will be working in additional trips to Estrella on Aug. 25, 29-31. We anticipate resuming our normal route schedule for the month of September barring any additional monsoon activity. We appreciate your continued support and understanding.”
Estrella Storm Newsletter (author: Estrella Joint Committee, published August 3, 2018)
Estrella Storm Newsletter
STORM RESOURCE INFORMATION
Last night, Estrella and the Southwest Valley was hit by a micro-burst storm that caused severe landscape, infrastructure and roof damage throughout the community, and downed power lines and an unknown number of SRP towers. Thankfully, no injuries have been reported.
Please continue to be cautious of debris in the roadways and plan to leave early for appointments just in case of traffic delays. Consider checking on elderly or special needs neighbors and their homes in case they need help.
Photo Credit: Mike Andrews
Estrella management would like to thank our partners – Four Peaks Landscape Management, the City of Goodyear, Summit Restoration, SRP, and Newland Communities – who have been working diligently to clear roads, coordinate with SRP and collaborate with emergency services to support residents and begin the storm cleanup process in Estrella.
We will keep you up-to-date on the progress of these efforts through email newsletters like this one, the @LifeInEstrella Facebook and Twitter pages and on Next Door for the Estrella community.
Below you will find a list of local resources and community closures.
CLOSURES
Golf Club of Estrella and Player’s Grill & Patio (closed today and tomorrow, expecting to open Sunday.)
Presidio is closed until further notice
OPEN
Starpointe Residents Club, Lakeside Grill, Splash!
SHELTER INFORMATION
The American Red Cross shelter has been moved from Estrella Foothills High School to Fire Station 326 (Arlington and Rainbow Valley Rd.) in Buckeye Valley.
UTILITY RESOURCES
Police non-emergency 623-932-1220
Fire non-emergency 623-932-2300
SRP 602-236-8811
Southwest Gas Co. 602-861-1999
City of Goodyear (water, sewer, trash) 623-932-3010
HOA WORK ORDERS (623) 386-1112
EVENTS
The Eagles concert WILL happen tonight. However, the CDM special Eagles dinner, to have taken place at Presidio before the concert, is cancelled.
OPT-IN for REVERSE 9-1-1 EMERGENCY NOTICES
| What’s the Clean-Up Plan? |
| Four Peaks was on site when the storm hit yesterday and teams worked diligently to help clear trees on main arteries so we could drive down safely to our homes.
In the coming days, Four Peaks will begin clearing debris knocked loose from the storm. Teams will continue working north to south in the community, first cutting-then stacking tree limbs and debris. Next, removal will take place. |
City of Goodyear Clean Up In Estrella
City of Goodyear streets crews are focusing on clearing the right of way and Goodyear Public Works will be in Zones A and B on Monday and Tuesday next week for bulk collection (8/6 & 8/7.)
Due to the excessive amount of debris caused by the storm last night, a second collection will also be scheduled for all bulk collection zones in Estrella (zones A, B and C) later in the month.
As a reminder:
- Brush should be cut to 4′ lengths.
- Grass clippings placed out for bulk collection must be double bagged or in sealed cardboard boxes.
- Cacti must be placed in sealed boxes to prevent injury to workers.
- Place bulk trash in the street, next to the curb in front of your property. Do not place bulk materials in any manner that will interfere with or be hazardous to pedestrians or vehicles. All items should be placed away from electrical boxes, cable boxes, mailboxes, poles, water meters and existing landscape.
- Placing bulk trash outside too early before the collection day has the potential to create a mess and invite animals, in addition to detracting from the aesthetics of the community. Residents are asked to place their bulk out on the curb or alley seven calendar days prior to your collection or by 6:00 AM on the day of collection.
- It is the resident’s responsibility to clean up small debris that may remain after collection.
Please note: Per Goodyear city code, any items resulting from any contracted work or services shall not be placed for bulk pickup, including those items resulting from work or services conducted on behalf of the city’s sanitation customer.
The following items are not accepted for City of Goodyear bulk trash collections: Hazardous materials, large auto parts, boats, tires, oil, rocks, dirt, material from construction repair or demolition such as roofing materials, drywall, and concrete. Brush should be cut to 4’ lengths. Cacti must be placed in sealed boxes, grass clippings and leaves must be double-bagged or contained in sealed boxes.
If you have questions, please contact the Compliance division at the Community Services Office
(623) 386-1112.
Thank you for your attention to these bulk trash and storm debris notes.