Matt Hinshaw/ The Daily Courier
A neighbor's ponderosa pine toppled onto Bill Johnson's home at the corner of Copper Basin Road and Linden (below). Johnson's son-in-law and daughter, Randy and Danielle Key, were asleep in their room when the tree came crashing through their ceiling. Meanwhile, another ponderosa pine crashed onto a vehicle parked near the corner of Park and Sierra Prieta (above).
Courier staff reports
Randy and Danielle Key feel lucky to be alive after a huge pine tree crashed into the roof of their Prescott bedroom Monday night.
"All of a sudden this crash, the loudest noise ever...it was very scary," Randy said. "I woke up with drywall all over my body and got out of there as fast as I could."
Danielle added, "It felt like a bomb went through the house."
A monster storm produced hurricane-force wind gusts that toppled huge pine trees all over Prescott Monday night and Tuesday morning, crashing into homes and cars, but miraculously injuring no one.
Western Yavapai County recorded the strongest wind gusts throughout Northern Arizona Monday night, reaching 74 mph in Prescott, 78 mph in Chino Valley and 77 mph in Crown King. Hurricanes have sustained winds of at least 74 mph, said Dan LeBlanc of the National Weather Service office in Flagstaff. The Weather Service couldn't say if Prescott set a record wind speed.
A falling tree in strong winds killed at least one person in Arizona. Skylar Stock of Queen Creek, a 27-year-old Tempe firefighter, died when a large ponderosa pine fell on his tent off Highway 260 about 20 miles east of Camp Verde. He was on a hunting trip with a friend who escaped uninjured from the tent.
The storm also packed heavy precipitation, producing a record for Dec. 7 at Prescott's official Sundog measuring site, LeBlanc said. The water equivalent of the rain and snow totaled 2.12 inches, breaking the old record of 1.31 inches set in 1966. That also was the fifth-highest amount of precip ever recorded here during one day in December. Records date back to 1898.
Prescott recorded 2-6 inches of snow, depending on the location. To the north along Route 66, Seligman reported seven inches of snow and Ash Fork received 6-15 inches.
Some mountainous areas of northern Arizona got two feet of the white stuff, including the Arizona Snowbowl. The storm produced a record 20 inches of snow in Flagstaff.
Blizzard conditions forced the closure of Interstate 40 and northern I-17 Monday through about noon Tuesday.
Forecasters expect the immense storm to affect two-thirds of the country as it moves on east.
POWER FAILURES
More than a quarter-million Arizonans temporarily lost electricity, and some are still waiting for it to return.
Arizona Public Service was still working Tuesday to restore power to some areas including Groom Creek, Walker and Crown King in the mountains south of Prescott. Workers hoped to finish the job by Thursday.
Approximately 4,000 Yavapai County customers and 14,000 homes throughout northern Arizona lost power during the storm, APS spokesperson Mike Johnsen said.
Twenty-four power lines toppled and many arced dangerously, including power lines on Gurley Street, officials said.
TREES TOPPLE
At least 60 trees fell throughout the city, with 30 requiring chainsaws to remove them from roadways. The Ponderosa Park subdivision just south of the city also reported numerous downed trees.
"I pulled half of the crew from plowing to go to cut down trees that had fallen across the road," Prescott Field Operations Manager Chad McDowell said. The city had 10 plows on the roads.
"We also had six incidents where trees fell onto residential properties," Prescott Police Chief Mike Kabbel said. "Fortunately, the residents involved had places to spend the night and we have no reported fatalities."
Randy Key said it was exactly 12:34 a.m. Tuesday when the tree crashed into his bedroom.
"It could have killed them," said Danielle's father Randy Johnson, who also lives in the home at the corner of Copper Basin Road and Linden. He's a builder and estimated the damage to his home at about $15,000, not including the crushed Grinch doll on the roof.
Elaine Viliborghi was glad her neighbors weren't staying in their summer home on Eagle Circle in Prescott Monday night when a huge pine tree crashed into their home.
"The whole top of the tree is in their dining room," Viliborghi said. "If someone would have been in there, they would have been dead."
Another huge ponderosa crashed squarely into Skyler Jess' Toyota RAV4, totaling it completely. It was parked at his home near the corner of Park and Sierra Prieta in Prescott.
"It was definitely a storm for the record books," said Jess, who is a renter at the home while attending Prescott College.
Phil Clayton said the storm sounded like a tornado about 10:30 p.m. Monday, apparently about the time it sent a pine onto his car on Loma. Luckily it just hit the bumper area. He also lost electricity.
A cluster of at least a half-dozen large ponderosa pine trees fell within less than a block of each other on nearby Country Club Drive in an older section of the city. Clayton wondered if a wind shear might have hit the area.
A few blocks away, Dianne Jacobson was surveying the strange sight in her mother's front yard on Highland.
One large ponderosa was leaning against the two-story home, while two other pines and an oak fell in the front yard. The home didn't appear to have any damage, leading Jacobson to surmise that another fallen pine slowly pushed the other tree over onto the home.
"I grew up in that house," said Jacobson, who now lives next door. "I'd say that's the strongest wind I ever heard in Prescott."
A Prescott Valley mobile home along Tracy Drive lost its roof, Central Yavapai Fire District Marshal Charlie Cook said. Luckily no one was home.
"It looked like a box with the lid clipped off," Cook said.
Two other trees fell on a fence in Spring Lakes near Prescott Valley.
A power pole fell at the car wash at Yavapai and Florentine in PV and ignited nearby trees, but firefighters couldn't try to put out the fire without being electrocuted, Cook said. They monitored it until it burned out, but had to return again later Tuesday morning when trees ignited again.
ROAD PROBLEMS
A boulder fell onto Highway 69 near the Prescott Gateway Mall at 10:15 p.m. Monday, but luckily it didn't hit any vehicles, said Sgt. Tim Fletcher of the Prescott Police.
Prescott police helped the Sheriff's Office with numerous vehicles that slid off Iron Springs Road Monday night and Tuesday morning, but no one suffered any serious injuries, he added.
Prescott Valley emergency workers responded to several rollovers on Highway 69, but none involved any life-threatening injuries, Cook said.
"We had a number of roads blocked by semis and buses that had trouble traveling on the ice this morning," Prescott Valley Sgt. Brandon Bonney said.
Chino Valley police helped numerous people who slid their vehicles off the roads on ice, Det. Tom Buvik said.
No agency in Arizona was busier than the Arizona Department of Public Safety, which responded to 449 vehicles sliding off the roads, 83 non-injury accidents and 26 collisions with injuries. In all, DPS responded to 3,000 calls for help, Lt. Stephen Harrison said.
In Yavapai County, DPS responded to 76 vehicles off the roads, 26 non-injury collisions, five injury collisions and five rockslides.
Three vehicles collided with boulders on Interstate 17 near highways 69 and 169, Harrison said, but no one was injured. Rocks also fell on I-17 in the Copper Canyon area south of Camp Verde, on I-17 south of Sunset Point, and on Highway 89A in Oak Creek Canyon.
The I-17 corridor north of Camp Verde was the busiest area for DPS. Numerous commercial vehicles failed to put chains on their tires and ended up sliding and blocking traffic, officials said.
More moisture on the way Another storm is on its way this week, but the National Weather Service doesn't expect it to be anything like the one that hit on Pearl Harbor Day.
The forecast by Tuesday night was calling for a return of moist westerly flow late Thursday, with only light amounts of precipitation.
Then a stronger disturbance could arrive around Saturday night or Sunday, producing moderate amounts of precipitation.
The Weather Service is forecasting a 10 percent chance of showers in Prescott Thursday, followed by a 20-percent chance Thursday night, 30-percent chance Friday and 20-percent chance Friday night.
Prescott already has exceeded its 111-year average December precipitation of 1.66 inches at the Sundog measuring site. The storm that hit Monday and Tuesday produced 2.12 inches of precipitation.
Posted: Monday, December 14, 2009
Article comment by:
Grasshopper & the Ant.
Wow what a bunch of whiners. I have camped and hunted in colder weather. I thought the storm was "cool" The wind howling was kind of eerie but neat in its own respect. I have a 4X4 and put it into 2 wheel drive because I didn't need to be in 4 wheel drive. I even went out to breakfast with my friends that morning. If your power was out and you were inconvincied then you were not prepaired. Life is full of choices. You were without your creature comforts for a few hours and got all butt hurt over it that is your choice. My choice it to be prepaired for this kind of weather. Ihave a generator, portable propane stoves and heaters. Plenty of bottled water and non parishable foods. I'm good for week with out creature comforts. I choose to be a survivor and have the ability to fend for myself and my family. Remember the old story about grasshopper and the ant? The government does not owe you a living. Learn to prepare for the future.
I sound like an old man and I'm only in my early 30's. I'm a Gen X'er.
Posted: Saturday, December 12, 2009
Article comment by:
Leave us alone.
Former Snow Flower: Yes, it's just you.
Posted: Saturday, December 12, 2009
Article comment by:
Rich
former snow salter.
get yer foreign (inappropriate term)back north foreign malcontent.
Posted: Thursday, December 10, 2009
Article comment by:
New Englander
Raise taxes to pay for services! On second thought lets just pay for snow removal from the education fund!
Posted: Thursday, December 10, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
"former snow plower . . . . . . . ." welcome to one of the dumbest states in the USofA! Now you know why its called that.
Posted: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Article comment by:
former snow plower from the north
Is it just me or does anyone else think it's about time the town of Prescott invests in some salt for the roads. For the hand full of times it snows here- it won't hurt. I know I would much rather drive home in melted ice than the brown sluch/ice that's created by the embers/gravel thrown down. If the town salted the roads in the morning and at night, it would create much safer driving conditions. After working a plow for many years in New England, this town sorely lacks in its knowledge of how to deal with hazardous road conditions.
Posted: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Article comment by:
Jay
That storm was amazing! Anyone else see the huge tree uprooted an granite creek park?
Posted: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Article comment by:
Herb
Thanks to the county road guys, they did a wonderful job up here in Highland Pines.
Thanks to APS as well!
30 hours never felt so long but I am glad the lights are on now.
Craziest winter storm I have ever been through.
Posted: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
what a bunch of whiners. the state and govt are not responsible for anything. take care of yourself for gods sake. we are so dependent on the govt for everything. its sad
Posted: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Article comment by:
Please, Help Yourself
I think our law enforcement and city and county crews did a great job. While we were safe at home, they were out working in it. THANK YOU, and good job! Now here's a couple suggestions for all those complaining about their power being out too long or their residential street not being cleared soon enough: 1) You live in cold country - buy a small gas heater and a camp stove and know how to use them safely. Then stock some basic supplies including a few day's food and water. 2) If you have a critical occupation or business and cannot miss a day's work, make sure you can get yourself to a main road - they were clear. Try a 4x4 with appropriate tires and/or chains. And you might need to consider not living in Highland Pines, Groom Creek, Walker, Mountain Club, or any other neighborhood with narrow steep roadways. There's a reason those used to be "summer cabins"!
Posted: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Article comment by:
Christopher
One of the predictions of global warming is the additional energy put into the global system will cause more violent storms, greater extremes (both cold and hot) and freakish weather. I suspect you ain't seen nothing yet.
Posted: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Susie - it barely got below freezing. I've camped in colder weather....Some blankets and warm clothes would suffice for a day, don't you think? One day!
People sure are soft nowadays.
Posted: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Did anyone catch that crazy lightning and thunder? Was it sharp or in the clouds? From where I was at all I could see was flashes. a tree hit my roof and thankfully it only caused a hole in the ceiling and that I wasen't home then. Scary stuff
Posted: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
And of course, the snow gets plowed into the middle of the streets downtown. It melts during the day, covering the street with water and freezes at night. Next morning, it's like driving on a skating rink!
Where did they come up with this? I'd NEVER seen this technique until I moved here 25 years ago. The City is so worried the parking spaces won't be open, they plow the snow to the middle of the streets. Clear the streets, eliminate the hazards.
Piling it up to block intersections is another brilliant idea. Check out Cortez and Union.
Just who rho runs the Streets Dept? Larry, Curly and Moe?
Posted: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
"tired" is just glad someone return his heart shaped rock to the top of granite mountain.
Posted: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Article comment by:
You are welcomed - always
HELLO TO: Susie Harris. You have a standing invitation for housing anytime you need it! mariannevan@rocketmail.com
Posted: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Article comment by:
Mario Amodeo
Some wind!
I'm all for supporting local small business,and don't mind paying a reasonable premium to do so. But I continually find items/services priced 100 percent more than I can buy elsewhere.
Signed, a local small business person.
Posted: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Article comment by:
To rational1989
You make a wonderful point. Let's all PLEASE support our home-town Mom and Pop businesses, or the home-town we lose could be our own. Merry Christmas.
Posted: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Regarding the lack of snow plows: Yes the main streets need to be plowed first but the majority of us that live on residential streets that feed into the main highways, are unable to to get to them do to lack of snow removal. 2 days of missed work so far. Use the city money more productively and for necessary and economical reasons. Many shops are closed too because the business owners are unable to get to them. This is absurd to let a city close down to snow. Instead of feeding the politician's pockets, take care of your hard-working citizens. We pay our taxes to be taken care of. Shame on you Prescott!
Posted: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Muther nature isn't happy. Most of the car pileups are by fresh arrivals from Calif. who drive fast as possible at all possible times. Fun to watch, like bumper cars.
Posted: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Article comment by:
Crazy
Why didn't PUSD just cancel classes yesterday rather than having a two hour delay? Those school buses were sliding all over the place! Not to mention, our bus was 40 minutes late and still had the transfer at Taylor Hicks before getting to Miller Valley. The way I figure it, my kid got to school just in time for lunch!
Posted: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Article comment by:
Give' Em Hell Harry
Keep the moisture coming but enough of the wind already!
Posted: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
My mom lives in Chino, and is STILL out of power.
Posted: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Article comment by:
Susie Harris
We up here in Humboldt suffered through some fallen trees, downed street signs, destroyed roofs and sheds. The worst was that we had no power for about 26-28 hours. I hope our state can prepare a little bit more for emergency situations like this in the future, with some type of statement to the people. We could not get ahold of APS until late yesterday afternoon. When we did, they announced that there was a shelter in Flagstaff? I am thankful that we were able to go and buy a propane heater with the money we saved for Christmas. I hope everybody else survived the cold!
Posted: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Article comment by:
tired
Maybe, just maybe when the next snow storm hits the area, the towns of Prescott and Prescott Valley will put down more than one or two cinders on the roads. This was outrageous Tuesday morning with all the ice covered roads. I guess the area doesn't care about the safety of the tax paying public.
