Cooperation Helped Cochise County Weather a Wild 2026 Monsoon Season

Nathan Hodges and Kate Cox of Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative joined First Watch with Sheriff Mark Dannels on KWCD to discuss this year’s eventful monsoon season and the challenges it brought to the cooperative and our community this summer.

lightning struck on desert

The 2026 monsoon season brought a lot of rain to Cochise County, but according to Nathan Hodges, Senior Vice President of Operations at Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative (SSVEC), the biggest story may not have been the weather itself. Instead, it was how people worked together through some of the toughest storm conditions Southeastern Arizona has seen in years.

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A Season of Storms and Damage

All the summer rain kept SSVEC on its toes. From an operations standpoint, Hodges said the monsoon kept the team extremely busy. Parts of SSVEC's service area received an estimated 10 to 14 inches of rain, meaning some locations around the county reported precipitation totals well above normal.

Monsoon rain typically gets the most attention; however, Hodges noted, wind and lightning created some of the biggest challenges this year. Strong winds knocked down utility poles and power lines, and saturated ground and muddy roads made it difficult for crews and equipment to reach damaged areas.

By the end of the season, SSVEC had replaced nearly 100 poles, far more than is typically seen during a monsoon season.

READ ALSO: Why Arizona's Drought Isn't Over Despite Wet Summer

green grass field near mountain under white clouds during daytime

The Storm That Hit Willcox

One of the most challenging storm events happened near Willcox, when a single storm brought down 60 utility poles. It took nearly four days to restore service. The crews weren't simply repairing an outage; they were rebuilding major portions of the electric system.

To make matters even more challenging, two more storm systems moved through the area while crews kept working. At one point, service members worked in knee-deep water that was flowing down the roadway.

READ MORE: Innovative Drone Inspections Improve Power Reliability In Sulphur Springs

A dirt road leads towards a dark, stormy sky

Cooperation at Every Level

Challenging times bring people together, and as Nathan Hodges said, “If there's one thing I'll remember about the 2026 monsoon season, beyond the storms themselves, it's the cooperation we saw at every level.”

SSVEC line crews, behind-the-scenes employees, neighboring electric cooperatives, AEPCO, local organizations, and community members all helped restore power and support residents and businesses affected by the outage.

According to Hodges, the season demonstrated the cooperative model at its best, with people and organizations stepping up whenever help was needed.

READ ALSO: Preparing For Monsoon Storms In Southeastern Arizona: Key Tip

gray metal electric towers under blue sky during daytime

Looking Ahead

As this year proved, severe weather always challenges electrical infrastructure. Hodges added that SSVEC’s investments in maintenance, equipment upgrades, and reliability planning continue to help make the system more resilient.

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As the 2026 monsoon season comes to a close, the biggest takeaway isn't just how much rain fell or how many poles were replaced. It's how communities across Cochise County worked together to keep the lights on and help neighbors through difficult conditions.