Arizona declares flood emergency as two die in Flagstaff; FEMA rejected its last request

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, declared a state emergency on Monday, Nov. 2, after a weekend of record rain caused flash floods, rockfalls and highway closures across much of the state ¹. Her order makes $200,000 in emergency money available to communities that were hit ¹.

The declaration covers parts of Apache, Coconino, Gila, Greenlee, Navajo, Pinal and Yavapai counties. It also covers the Hopi Tribe, the Navajo Nation, the San Carlos Apache Tribe, the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe and the White Mountain Apache Tribe ¹.

On tapeArizona’s Family (3TV / CBS 5) · Nov 2

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The safety and security of every Arizonan is my top priority.

So far the storm has been handled with state and local money. The last time Arizona asked the federal government for flood help, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) turned the state down, and then rejected its appeal ⁶⁷.

Two dead in Flagstaff, rooftop rescues in Sedona

Two men were found dead Monday morning in Flagstaff after floodwaters ran through the city ¹³. Police identified one of them as Williams Singavarapu, 73, of New York. He reportedly lost his footing near fast-moving water around 5:30 p.m. Sunday and never came back up. His body was found about 12 hours later, less than a mile from where he was last seen ³.

From Channel GOPHamilton: 50,000 Kansans lost health coverageMr. Hamilton · 142 plays · captioned, with the source named

First responders found the second man just before 8:30 a.m. Monday in a stormwater drainage area. Investigators believe his death was weather-related, but the medical examiner has not yet ruled on the cause ³. Flagstaff got 5.15 inches of rain over two days, which helped make Nov. 1 the wettest on record there ².

We haven't seen impacts like this in years, if ever

In Sedona, state air rescue crews pulled six people off their rooftops by Sunday afternoon after floodwaters trapped them in their homes ⁴. The city ordered people near Oak Creek to evacuate ²⁴. Part of the main highway between Flagstaff and Sedona washed out ².

On tapeAssociated Press · Nov 2

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Oak Creek had not run this high since 1993, according to public radio station KNAU ⁵. On the Hopi and Navajo reservations, roads washed out and homes flooded while families were still recovering from a late-October storm ⁵.

It was the highest I have ever seen it in my 33 years here.

The damage spread statewide. Swiftwater rescues were underway in Tucson, and in Pinetop-Lakeside manhole covers popped up and sewage backed up into homes ². Workman Creek, a wilderness area northeast of Phoenix, recorded 7.3 inches of rain in two days. That was one of several record totals reported in the state ². Ryan Maue, a former chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), calculated that more than 20 trillion gallons of rain fell on the Four Corners states and Nevada in two weeks ².

What happened the last time Arizona asked for help

In late September 2025, monsoon storms dumped 2.5 inches of rain in 24 hours on the mining towns of Globe and Miami, and three people were killed ⁶. Hobbs declared an emergency on Sept. 27, 2025, and asked FEMA for disaster aid on Oct. 24 ⁶.

In December 2025, FEMA rejected Arizona's request for a major disaster declaration covering Gila and Mohave counties. The agency said the damage did not exceed what the state and local governments could handle ⁷. The state's early estimate put damage at more than $30 million ⁷. Hobbs's appeal later estimated total economic losses at more than $100 million ⁶.

On July 2, 2026, FEMA official Robert J. Fenton Jr. wrote back that the flooding was "not of the severity and magnitude" to justify a major disaster declaration, and that the appeal "is denied" ⁶. Hobbs called it a "cruel and reckless decision" ⁶.

Arizona clearly met the threshold for this funding.

The pattern goes beyond Arizona. KTAR cited an Associated Press analysis of FEMA data going back to 1989. It found that Trump's second-term disaster approvals have taken longer on average than any other president's, and that he has denied a larger share of requests ⁶. The same analysis found he approved about 80% of requests from Republican governors and about 60% from Democratic governors, the widest partisan gap in the data ⁶.

FEMA's message: states should pay their own way

On Tuesday, Oct. 20, FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton told state officials to plan to cover disaster costs without federal help, according to a recording Politico obtained and Salon reported on ⁸. He said states need to be able to start recovery right away, without waiting on the federal declaration process ⁸.

That matters because a $200,000 state fund is small next to the cost of a major flood. Last year's Globe-area flooding alone caused more than $30 million in documented damage ⁷. A major federal disaster declaration is the kind of aid that helps pay to rebuild public roads, bridges and water systems ⁷.

Some people are exposed on their own, too. Jenny Kittredge, who manages Forest Houses Resort in Oak Creek Canyon, told KNAU the resort has no flood insurance because it would cost too much ⁵. More rain was still falling Monday, and officials urged people never to drive through flooded roads or washes ¹.

The Record

1. Sep 27, 2025Hobbs declares an emergency after monsoon floods kill three people in the Globe and Miami area ⁶⁷.
2. Oct 24, 2025Hobbs asks FEMA for federal disaster aid for the September floods ⁶.
3. Dec 23, 2025FEMA denies Arizona's request for a major disaster declaration, and Hobbs vows to appeal ⁷.
4. Jul 2, 2026FEMA rejects Arizona's appeal, saying the flooding was not severe enough for a major disaster declaration ⁶.
5. Nov 2, 2026After two deaths in Flagstaff and rooftop rescues in Sedona, Hobbs declares a new state flood emergency with $200,000 in aid ¹³⁴.

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<h2>Arizona declares flood emergency as two die in Flagstaff; FEMA rejected its last request</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files National Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/arizona-declares-flood-emergency-as-two-die-in-flagstaff-fema-rejected-its-last">The GOP Files</a> on Monday, November 2, 2026.</em></p> <p>Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, declared a state emergency on Monday, Nov. 2, after a weekend of record rain caused flash floods, rockfalls and highway closures across much of the state . Her order makes $200,000 in emergency money available to communities that were hit .</p> <p>The declaration covers parts of Apache, Coconino, Gila, Greenlee, Navajo, Pinal and Yavapai counties. It also covers the Hopi Tribe, the Navajo Nation, the San Carlos Apache Tribe, the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe and the White Mountain Apache Tribe .</p> <blockquote><p>The safety and security of every Arizonan is my top priority.</p><p>&mdash; Katie Hobbs, Governor of Arizona, D-Ariz.</p></blockquote> <p>So far the storm has been handled with state and local money. The last time Arizona asked the federal government for flood help, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) turned the state down, and then rejected its appeal .</p> <h2>Two dead in Flagstaff, rooftop rescues in Sedona</h2> <p>Two men were found dead Monday morning in Flagstaff after floodwaters ran through the city . Police identified one of them as Williams Singavarapu, 73, of New York. He reportedly lost his footing near fast-moving water around 5:30 p.m. Sunday and never came back up. His body was found about 12 hours later, less than a mile from where he was last seen .</p> <p>First responders found the second man just before 8:30 a.m. Monday in a stormwater drainage area. Investigators believe his death was weather-related, but the medical examiner has not yet ruled on the cause . Flagstaff got 5.15 inches of rain over two days, which helped make Nov. 1 the wettest on record there .</p> <blockquote><p>We haven&#39;t seen impacts like this in years, if ever</p><p>&mdash; Tim Carter, Director, Coconino Emergency Management</p></blockquote> <p>In Sedona, state air rescue crews pulled six people off their rooftops by Sunday afternoon after floodwaters trapped them in their homes . The city ordered people near Oak Creek to evacuate . Part of the main highway between Flagstaff and Sedona washed out .</p> <p>Oak Creek had not run this high since 1993, according to public radio station KNAU . On the Hopi and Navajo reservations, roads washed out and homes flooded while families were still recovering from a late-October storm .</p> <blockquote><p>It was the highest I have ever seen it in my 33 years here.</p><p>&mdash; Jenny Kittredge, Manager, Forest Houses Resort, Oak Creek Canyon</p></blockquote> <p>The damage spread statewide. Swiftwater rescues were underway in Tucson, and in Pinetop-Lakeside manhole covers popped up and sewage backed up into homes . Workman Creek, a wilderness area northeast of Phoenix, recorded 7.3 inches of rain in two days. That was one of several record totals reported in the state . Ryan Maue, a former chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), calculated that more than 20 trillion gallons of rain fell on the Four Corners states and Nevada in two weeks .</p> <h2>What happened the last time Arizona asked for help</h2> <p>In late September 2025, monsoon storms dumped 2.5 inches of rain in 24 hours on the mining towns of Globe and Miami, and three people were killed . Hobbs declared an emergency on Sept. 27, 2025, and asked FEMA for disaster aid on Oct. 24 .</p> <p>In December 2025, FEMA rejected Arizona&#39;s request for a major disaster declaration covering Gila and Mohave counties. The agency said the damage did not exceed what the state and local governments could handle . The state&#39;s early estimate put damage at more than $30 million . Hobbs&#39;s appeal later estimated total economic losses at more than $100 million .</p> <p>On July 2, 2026, FEMA official Robert J. Fenton Jr. wrote back that the flooding was &quot;not of the severity and magnitude&quot; to justify a major disaster declaration, and that the appeal &quot;is denied&quot; . Hobbs called it a &quot;cruel and reckless decision&quot; .</p> <blockquote><p>Arizona clearly met the threshold for this funding.</p><p>&mdash; Katie Hobbs, Governor of Arizona, D-Ariz., on FEMA&#39;s 2026 rejection of the state&#39;s flood appeal</p></blockquote> <p>The pattern goes beyond Arizona. KTAR cited an Associated Press analysis of FEMA data going back to 1989. It found that Trump&#39;s second-term disaster approvals have taken longer on average than any other president&#39;s, and that he has denied a larger share of requests . The same analysis found he approved about 80% of requests from Republican governors and about 60% from Democratic governors, the widest partisan gap in the data .</p> <h2>FEMA&#39;s message: states should pay their own way</h2> <p>On Tuesday, Oct. 20, FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton told state officials to plan to cover disaster costs without federal help, according to a recording Politico obtained and Salon reported on . He said states need to be able to start recovery right away, without waiting on the federal declaration process .</p> <p>That matters because a $200,000 state fund is small next to the cost of a major flood. Last year&#39;s Globe-area flooding alone caused more than $30 million in documented damage . A major federal disaster declaration is the kind of aid that helps pay to rebuild public roads, bridges and water systems .</p> <p>Some people are exposed on their own, too. Jenny Kittredge, who manages Forest Houses Resort in Oak Creek Canyon, told KNAU the resort has no flood insurance because it would cost too much . More rain was still falling Monday, and officials urged people never to drive through flooded roads or washes .</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/arizona-declares-flood-emergency-as-two-die-in-flagstaff-fema-rejected-its-last">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/arizona-declares-flood-emergency-as-two-die-in-flagstaff-fema-rejected-its-last.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. AZFamily (KTVK/KPHO), “Flooding prompts state of emergency declarations in Arizona” (2026-11-02). azfamily.com/2026/11/02/flooding-prompts-state-emergency-dec
2. AP (via myMotherLode), “Floods swamp the arid Southwest, forcing evacuations and altering Election Day plans” (2026-11-02). mymotherlode.com/news/national/general-election/11275627/flo
3. AZFamily (KTVK/KPHO), “2 bodies found after floodwater swept through Flagstaff; cleanup underway” (2026-11-01). azfamily.com/2026/11/02/2-bodies-found-after-floodwater-swep
4. KNAU Arizona Public Radio, “DPS conducts rooftop rescues in Sedona during major flooding” (2026-11-01). knau.org/knau-and-arizona-news/2026-11-01/dps-conducts-rooft
5. KNAU/KJZZ Fronteras Desk, “Heavy rain causes waterways across northern Arizona, Four Corners to jump their banks” (2026-11-01). kjzz.org/fronteras-desk/2026-11-01/heavy-rain-causes-waterwa
6. KTAR News, “FEMA issues final rejection of Arizona's request for flood disaster relief” (2026-07-16). ktar.com/arizona-news/fema-rejects-disaster-relief-floods/58
7. Office of the Arizona Governor, “Governor Hobbs Condemns FEMA Denial of Disaster Declaration for Gila & Mohave County Flooding” (2025-12-23). azgovernor.gov/node/7594
8. Salon, “California preps for El Niño chaos as Trump admin signals it won't offer disaster relief” (2026-10-22). salon.com/2026/10/22/california-preps-for-el-nino-chaos-as-t

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