Record rainfall threatens 9/11 memorial in Tempe

Mark Poisson and Mother Nature were at odds Monday.

She had unleashed a relentless desert rainfall that made Arizona history. She spurred a torrent that flooded the Tempe grounds where in less than 48 hours, Poisson and hundreds of volunteers planned to raise 2,977 American flags — one for every person who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

He wouldn't let the Tempe Healing Field memorial go down without a fight.

"We're going on no matter what," Poisson said Tuesday as he stood at Tempe Beach Park.

Poisson glanced up at the Arizona sun that shined in a cloud-filled sky still moist with rain.

"Last year, the day we were doing this, it rained on us all day," Poisson said with spunk, as if to warn Mother Nature it would take more than a storm to ground the sea of flags that have waved at the 9/11 annual memorial since 2003.

The Exchange Club of Tempe counts on the community to help post each flag in the earth. And each year, over the four-day memorial, the community comes by the thousands to honor the lives of children, firefighters, police officers and others who died on 9/11.

Last year, Mother Nature sent Arizona a typical desert rain. Nothing like the record downpour Monday that tore through Tempe and the rest of the Valley, leaving behind flooded homes, parks and streets.

Prayers, wishes and a backup plan would mark the countdown to 6 a.m. Sept. 10, when volunteers are to gather at Tempe Beach Park to hoist the flags on the southern edge of Town Lake.

Nine volunteers on Tuesday sprayed a pattern of white paint on the moist, green grass where flags would be staked today.

Tempe officials had met with volunteers early Tuesday to see whether they would have to pump water from the field. But, for the moment, the sun had dried it out.

Poisson, city workers and volunteers were on weather watch because more rain was predicted overnight.

"If we get more rain today, well, we're just praying we don't get more rain," Nick Bastian, a Healing Field volunteer, said.

Tempe officials were scrambling Tuesday to have a pump on site this morning in case rainwater needed to be pumped from the field.

"We faced a lot rain on Monday, and Beach Park looked like the (Tempe Town) Lake had kind of expanded," said Denise Rentschler, a Tempe spokeswoman who works each year with Healing Field volunteers. "They had never seen that much rain out there before."

Yes, the field was dry Tuesday, but Rentschler said she knew better than to underestimate Mother Nature.

If the ground was too wet, the flags would not stand. The flag poles are made of rebar, a heavy iron that could injure visitors if flags toppled over.

Rentschler said the plan is to check the field in the morning. If the field is too wet, the flags could go up later in the day when the sun had a chance to dry up the water.

"For the 10-year anniversary, it poured and it drenched those flags, but we still went out there," she said.

"And it just poured and poured. And in the spirit of the Healing Field ... we read the names of every one of the victims."

Human spirit may play a part in the tribute again if Mother Nature stands in the way.

"If I have to stand there and hold up a flag myself, those flags are going up," Bastian said.

"That's the spirit of the 9/11 Healing Field."

The Healing Field

The free memorial at Tempe Beach Park is open to the public through Saturday.

Wednesday, Sept. 10: 6 p.m., Freedom Concert.

Thursday, Sept. 11: 5:46 a.m., a memorial ceremony will mark the exact time in Arizona when the first plane hit the World Trade Center in New York. The service includes bagpipes and an invocation. The public is invited to join in a reading of the names of each public-safety first responder who died in the attacks.

Thursday, Sept. 11: 7 p.m., candlelight vigil with prayer and speakers.

The American Red Cross will host a blood drive at Tempe Beach Park. To make an appointment, visit www.RedCrossBlood.org and use the search term "Exchange Tempe," or call 520-230-7295.

How to help

At 6 a.m. Sunday, volunteers will help take down the memorial. For more information or to make a donation: www.facebook.com/September11HealingField.