Some 300 campers stranded at an Arizona park due to flooding

ORO VALLEY, Ariz. (AP) — Authorities are trying to rescue around 300 campers stranded at a park near Tucson due to flooding from recent rain storms.

Rangers at Catalina State Park said they hoped to have all of the campers out by Wednesday evening.

The park, located about 6 miles (9.6 kilometers) north of Tucson, has been closed since Monday morning after rains caused a wash to flood.

Authorities said water, mud and sand are so deep at the park’s campground that even lifted trucks and vehicles with four-wheel drive can’t get through.

A Canadian couple from Quebec — Angele Drouin and her husband — are among the campers parked in their RVs. They are waiting for the water in the wash to recede so they can continue their southern Arizona road trip.

“It’s nature. It’s OK,” Drouin told Tucson TV station KVOA. “It’s not a big deal. We have a place to sleep.”

Park rangers said the flooding happens regularly, especially during the summer monsoon season.

There are plans and a budget to build a bridge over the wash in the coming years so flooding won’t continue to be a common occurrence.