SURPRISE, AZ (CBS5) -
The Valley has seen above normal rainfall over the past week. But those welcomed monsoon storms are doing more harm than good in a community off Dale Lane and 163rd Avenue in Surprise.
Neighbors said a wash plugged with debris on state land is causing thousands of dollars in damage to their property.
Greg Singletary owns a nearby ranch. Besides tending to the horses, he's been battling Mother Nature.
In the past week he's gotten nearly 4 inches of rain that triggered two flash floods.
All of that water showed no mercy. Dozens of bales of hay stored in a barn were ruined and $4,000 worth of sand was washed out of his horse arena.
Singletary said the problem started when the state paved a section of Dale Road that served as a water valley that allowed the water to flow in one direction. Adding to the nightmare are piles of tangled garbage and debris clogging the wash.
Now Singletary is doing something about it.
"I've rented a rock picker and a big loader and several of the neighbors and people I rope with are going to help," Singletary said.
They're coming together on Saturday to cut the brush away from the wash and dig it out all the way to the state fence.
CBS 5 contacted the city of Surprise. Officials sent us a statement that reads in part:
"The city of Surprise does not maintain these natural-occurring washes. We may only remove the debris that washes may carry over onto our public roadways."
CBS 5 also reached out to Flood Control District of Maricopa County. Officials there looked at their maps and think the city is responsible.
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