The first major monsoon to strike Fountain Hills this summer pounded the community Sunday night with 60 mile per hour wind gusts toppling trees and light poles around town. It tore into the roof at the Desert Canyon Golf Club, causing significant damage to the restaurant.
The wind gusts were recorded at Fountain Park. The National Weather Service recorded .99 inch of rain between 10 p.m. Sunday and 2 a.m. on Monday. The bulk of that fell between 10 and 11 p.m.
The storm, which moved in just before 10 p.m., had public works and emergency crews working through the night to clear streets of trees, limbs and debris. Interim Public Works Director Justin Weldy said his men started working around 1 a.m.
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The first major monsoon to strike Fountain Hills this summer pounded the community Sunday night with 60 mile per hour wind gusts toppling trees and light poles around town. It tore into the roof at the Desert Canyon Golf Club, causing significant damage to the restaurant.
The wind gusts were recorded at Fountain Park. The National Weather Service recorded .99 inch of rain between 10 p.m. Sunday and 2 a.m. on Monday. The bulk of that fell between 10 and 11 p.m.
The storm, which moved in just before 10 p.m., had public works and emergency crews working through the night to clear streets of trees, limbs and debris. Interim Public Works Director Justin Weldy said his men started working around 1 a.m.
Assistant Fire Chief Jason Payne said Firefighters were out shortly after the storm abated, cleaning up a large tree that had fallen on Palisades Boulevard.
Weldy reported a preliminary count of a dozen trees down on town property or right-of-way. He also said there were light poles down at two parks. A perimeter fence at the tennis courts at Four Peaks Park was blown down. There appeared to be no damage to the courts.
The DC Grill sustained its damage when the winds whipped a portion of the patio roof over onto the roof of the main building. The main roof was breached and a water line broken, causing flooding in the main restaurant area and kitchen.
Monday morning it was uncertain how long the restaurant would need to be closed. However, the club was accommodating golfers who had Monday tee times and expected to resume full golf play on Tuesday.
On Del Cambre Avenue a tree estimated at about 40-foot tall came crashing down in the storm. The tree blocked the driveway of the homeowner, Gino Pellicano, and his neighbor’s driveway, barely missing vehicles parked in the drive. A mailbox was crushed.
Pellicano was diligently working with family and friends and had the debris nearly cleaned up by 10 a.m. on Monday.
The National Weather Service has the potential for monsoon storms remaining in the forecast for the remainder of the week.
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