Historic rainfall brings large clean-up efforts

In some parts of the Palm Springs, it’s going to be a difficult cleanup, especially with water continuing to come through.

This is all that’s left of Araby Drive a day after historic rains flooded the Palm Canyon wash…

“I was really surprised to still see a 40 yard wide stream coming down out wash here,” Brad Green, who lives near the Araby Wash.

The asphalt washed away making it difficult to see where the road was in the first place. Local residents hearing it first hand.

“It was disconcerting to hear the emergency alerts every two hours. I mean they were strong and I had two phones blaring at me,” Wendy Mather, who lives near the Araby Wash, said.

City officials are still assessing the damage and areas like Araby and Indian Canyon at the wash still have water streaming through meaning cleanup can’t happen quickly.

Instead efforts are focused further east at Vista Chino. Where work crews were busy clearing the mud and debris that blanketed the road.

“I feel badly for the people that are stuck with the clean-up. The engineering crews from the cities. I’m sure they’ll do a good job,” Green said.

The latest storm though, a reminder that weather can be unpredictable.

“The desert can go after you when it wants to I guess,” Green said.

Palm Springs city officials say they will work their way west from Vista Chino along the wash as part of their initial clean up efforts.