Western desert communities mop up after summer storms

Residents of the Phoenix metro area surveyed damage in their neighborhoods after high winds and heavy downbursts of rain downed scores of huge, old trees Thursday evening.

Clark County Fire Department deputy chief Jeff Buchanan said emergency personnel were still searching for the person who went missing in a wash where another one was rescued and then transported to a hospital.

Dozens of utility company workers on Friday were replacing broken power poles and repairing downed lines.

Rainfall amounts from Thursday evening included 1.81 inches (4.59 cm) at a city park in east Phoenix, 1.74 inch (4.42 cm) near the border between Phoenix and Scottsdale, and 1.69 inches (4.29 cm) along the Salt River near the border between Phoenix and Tempe, the National Weather Service said.

Jim Phipps, a municipal worker who lives in the Phoenix suburb of Tempe, had difficulty getting home Thursday evening.

The semi-rural Southern California desert community of Acton north of Los Angeles was also mopping up Friday after huge thunderheads caused by monsoon conditions unleashed muddy torrents through streets and homes, threatened a commuter rail line and forced rescues of trapped motorists.