Heavy rain led to destructive flash floods throughout the Phoenix, Arizona area Monday morning. Officials estimate that 5 inches of rainfall led to the high water that stranded people and cars and knocked out power in close to 3,000 homes. Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has declared a state of emergency.
This NBC News report shows some of the carnage starting 40 seconds in:
This footage, from local affiliate ABC 15 Arizona, has some shocking scenes from Interstate 17 in north Phoenix. Starting around 5:00 minutes in, you can see water rushing down the highway, stopping cars in their tracks. By the end the highway is barely discernable beneath a rushing tide of muddy water:
