9 members of single family killed in Arizona flash floods

A large group of people were at the river swimming in the area of the Cold Springs swimming hole in the town of Payson, Arizona on Saturday afternoon when the flash flood came from above them, police said. One person is still missing, according to the Gila County Sheriff's department.

At least four people were rescued and airlifted to a hospital, police said.

The victims were enjoying the relatively cool temperatures north of Payson on a day trip, he said, adding that the area is a popular getaway for people from southern Arizona. He referred to the gathering as a "family group," though he said that some members of the party were not related.

Five bodies were reportedly recovered Sunday, after four were recovered Saturday. The deceased range in age from 2 to 60, and were all members of the same family.

The incident followed a weather forecast by ABC News' meteorologists predicting "monsoonal related thunderstorms" throughout the weekend in the Southwest. The storm was violent, and unleashed 6-foot-high floodwaters, dark with ash from a summer wildfire, according to a report in the Associated Press. The torrent carried away tree branches and other debris as it went, the AP reported.

Payson "experienced heavy rain" prior to the incident, and search and rescue operations were initiated to find individuals who were reported missing, the sheriff's office said.

Search operations remain underway for other people who went missing during the flood, the sheriff's office said.

Arizona is not out of the woods by any means when it comes to extreme weather conditions.

A flash flood watch will be in effect for the Southeast part of the state until Monday evening, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Flash flood warnings are in effect for parts of Arizona this morning, including Nogales, Rio Rico, and Patagonia, according to the NWS.

Thunderstorms will be possible across portions of Arizona once again later tonight and also across other parts of the Southwest, according to ABC News' meteorologists.

The expected thunderstorm activity will likely remain isolated to scattered in nature, but the storms that do form will bring strong, gusty winds and torrential rain with them, which could trigger even more flash flooding in the region.

Sergeant Hornung said that most members of the group were from the Phoenix area, which, along with the rest of southern Arizona, has experienced inordinately hot temperatures this summer.

The swimming hole, Cold Springs, is part of the Verde River system, which winds through nearby canyons. Sergeant Hornung characterized the river system as "fairly rugged" and said that it was "swim at your own risk."

But he also said that despite previous flash floods in the region, it remained a popular destination.