Disasters · Moenkopi WashMoenkopi wash flooding: Warning extended to 7 a.m., gauge above major flood stageWritten November 2, 2026 at 2:56 PM UTCWatchTranscript0:07Monopi wash has risen well above major0:09flood stage. Low lying homes and crop0:11fields are at risk with the flash flood0:13warning extended until 7 a.m.0:15>> m standard time. People near the wash0:18still need to know whether the water has0:20peaked and begun to fall. Monkopi wash0:22is in Cookanino County in north central0:24Arizona. The original warning identified0:26lower Monopi village homes and0:28agricultural land as vulnerable. Tuba0:31City is the reference location for the0:32gauge monitoring the rising water. Stay0:34clear of the wash and don't enter flood0:36water on foot or in a vehicle.0:38Approaching the water to check a0:39crossing or a nearby field puts you in0:41the area the warning says is dangerous.0:43The weather service described the gauge0:45as having risen well above major flood0:46stage after heavy rain. That's a more0:49serious description than the earlier0:50rise above action stage, which signals a0:52need for precautions as water rises.0:54Flash flooding was already occurring0:56when the original warning went out0:57Sunday afternoon. Forecasters then0:59extended the same warning twice1:00overnight, keeping it in force beyond1:02both its original deadline and the time1:04they had forecast for the peak. The1:06original warning ran until 1 A m.1:09Monday, the first overnight extension1:11moved that deadline to 4A and next moved1:13it to 7A and the danger continued1:15through those earlier deadlines as1:17forecasters kept the warning in force.1:19At 6:27 Monday morning, the latest1:21warning still had about 33 minutes to1:22run. 7 a.m. M marks the warning's1:26expiration. Flood water can remain1:27dangerous beyond that deadline, and a1:29flooded crossing can still be unsafe.1:31The gauge near Tuba City recorded its1:33earlier reading Sunday afternoon before1:35either overnight extension. That1:36location identifies where the water was1:38measured. The warning's specific concern1:40for homes and field centers on lower1:42moppy village. The original figures1:45describe three different things. An1:46earlier water level, the flood stage1:49threshold, and a forecast peak. Keeping1:51those separate is essential because the1:52later major flood stage warning1:54describes conditions many hours after1:56that first measurement. The gauge read1:5826 ft Sunday afternoon. The original2:00warning set flood stage at 27 ft. It2:03forecast a 29.452:05foot crest for 5A m Monday. Those2:09figures pair an earlier observation with2:10a threshold and a prediction. The2:12earlier reading was 1 ft below that2:14flood stage threshold. The predicted2:16crest would be 2.45 ft above it. But the2:185A M forecast time has passed and a2:21forecast alone can't tell residents2:23whether the water has turned downward.2:25The original warning identifies 27 ft as2:27the level where water begins encroaching2:29on lower moppy village homes and2:30flooding crop fields along the river.2:32That threshold describes the threat to2:34shelter and cultivated land as the wash2:36rises. A current numerical gauge reading2:38and the actual crest's height and time2:40haven't been confirmed. The next warning2:42decision is due at 7 a.m. M when2:44forecasters could extend or cancel the2:46alert. Fresh observations are still2:48needed to show whether the water2:49threatening homes, fields, and routes2:51has begun to recede. Like and follow for2:54more stories that matter.Read the articleStory timelineHeyDex
