Arizona braces for heavy rain

PHOENIX (AP) — Rain is already falling in much of Arizona — and the state is expecting a lot more, as remnants of Tropical Storm Odile (oh-DEEL’) move through.

Forecasters say parts of Arizona and New Mexico could get six to nine inches of rain, and possible flash flooding.

The storm earlier caused heavy damage in Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, where the Mexican government has been airlifting thousands of stranded foreign tourists out of the resort of Los Cabos. Travelers are being flown free of charge to airports in Tijuana, Mexico City and elsewhere to catch connecting flights.

A tourist from California says the airport in Los Cabos was a mess, with roof panels and electrical wiring down, and signs and windows shattered. He says it was “like a scene from ‘The Walking Dead.'”

Residents of the resort state of Baja California Sur are struggling with a lack of power and drinking water, and they’ve formed long lines for emergency supplies.

And a new storm is threatening to hit the region in the coming days. Tropical Storm Polo is projected to grow into a hurricane by early tomorrow, and move parallel to the Mexican coast.

%@AP Links

103-a-12-(Gilbert Hernandez, resident, in AP interview)-“than last time”-Phoenix resident Gilbert Hernandez says he’s hoping the sand bags he filled will be enough to keep flood water out of his house. (17 Sep 2014)

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104-a-16-(Doug Nintzel, spokesman, Arizona Department of Transportation, in AP interview)-“best we can”-Arizona Department of Transportation spokesman Doug Nintzel says his agency is monitoring major roads and highways from its Traffic Operations Center and hoping to keep traffic flowing when the heavy rain hits. (17 Sep 2014)

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APPHOTO MXCP110: Tourists arrive at an Air Force hangar in Mexico City after being airlifted out of the hurricane-ravaged resort area of Los Cabos by the Mexican armed forces, in Mexico City, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2014. Travelers are being flown free of charge to airports in Tijuana, Mazatlan, Guadalajara and Mexico City to catch connecting flights and, in the case of foreigners, receive consular assistance. (AP Photo/Christian Palma) (16 Sep 2014)

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Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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