PHOENIX — Flooding can happen anywhere in Maricopa County but there are some areas that have a higher risk of flooding than others. Those areas are known as floodplains.
Floodplains occur next to washes, rivers, wetlands, lakes, coastal areas, and man-made features like canals, levees, berms, roads, or railroads.
In these areas, flooding happens when runoff from rain does not soak into the ground or evaporate.
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There are ways to find out if you live in a floodplain.
Maricopa County has mapped out thousands of miles of floodplains and compiled them into an interactive map online here.