Berm breaks flooding Coronado Lakes Estates

By Bruce Whetten

Douglas Dispatch
Published/Last Modified on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 5:11 PM MDT


Coronado Lakes Estates, a subdivision five miles north of Douglas, lived up to its name Thursday when the entire area became one big lake.


(Use arrows above to view more photos)

Heaving rains throughout the day in the Chiricahua Mountains filled the dry lake pond in no time to the point water was cresting over the top.

Around 8 p.m. Thursday two sides of the pond gave way and water poured through flooding roads and property down below.

Marizza Wymbs and her stepson Wayne said at one point Thursday night they were standing in water two and a half to three feet deep in their front yard. The water flooded their property but didn’t get inside their home. Two other homes besides hers that had water rushing through their property but none of the homes suffered flood damage and no one had to be evacuated.

The Cochise County Sheriffs Office did respond to see if any of the residents in the area needed assistance.

Marizza said she and her family have lived in Coronado Lakes Estates for about five years and never seen anything like this.

Eddie Gonzales of Hotfoot Plumbing who has a home out there as well, said the same thing.

Gonzales said about a half inch of rain feel at his place. He added that at Mud Springs, northeast of where he lives, they had two or three good soakings Thursday.

“That’s what caused the dry lakes to fill up,” he said. “It didn’t take long for the berm to break once it got full.”

Water was still flowing along Leslie Canyon Road Friday afternoon. Once you turned into the Coronado Lakes Estates Roadway and the pavement became dirt did the problems begin.

Both the Wymbs and Gonzales said numerous people were getting stuck and one local resident who had a tractor spent a good part of Friday pulling people out of the mud.

“The county had just finished grading the road,” Gonzales said. “Now with this happening who knows when they’ll be back out.”

Snakes and other amphibians were seen Friday trying to get away from the rushing water.

“That’s the way it is when you live out in the country,” Gonzales said.

 

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