Desert Washes Turn Into Raging Brown Rivers as Flash Floods Swamp Footpaths in Scottsdale

Fast-moving brown floodwater surged through a normally dry desert wash in Scottsdale, Arizona, after heavy rain hit the Phoenix area.

Footage filmed by StacyH11 on October 30 shows churning, muddy water rushing between desert shrubs and swallowing a concrete footpath. A metal handrail is seen sticking out of the torrent as waves break over the path.

“The washes are flowing in Scottsdale!” the filmer wrote.

Heavy rain triggered flash flooding across the Valley, with a flood warning issued for Maricopa County. Scottsdale closed several roads, including stretches of Shea Boulevard and McCormick Parkway, and firefighters rescued people from vehicles caught in fast-moving water near Indian Bend Wash. All of those rescued were reported unharmed.