Monsoon rains reveal Tombstone’s mining past

TOMBSTONE, AZ (Tucson News Now) - Eroded lawns show the work of a downpour in Tombstone earlier this week.

"I could hear the thunder inside and we stepped outside and it was just pouring," said Tombstone resident Alex Lozano.

But other than seeing a driveway full of water, Lozano didn't know of much major damage after Tuesday night's rain.

"The only thing I know of is the sinkhole up there on Toughnut that happens quite a bit," he said.

"It's been a going thing for years. You just fill it a little and fill it a little," said Tombstone mayor Stephen Schmidt as he stood where the small sinkhole closed the Toughnut Street.

Schmidt cited that the city is built over old mine shafts and the streets settle. The sinkhole is the latest development and the spot has been filled in repeatedly.

Now the area underneath the streets will be imaged to see where utility lines and old shafts are and to determine what more should be done.

"The remedy to the mine inspector is just to fill it all in, which would be really costly and then how far do you fill?" Schmidt said. He said that other solutions are to continue to fill and smooth the streets as they settle or to close the streets and turn them into walking malls.

However, he said that businesses will not like that idea. The problems that this week's rains revealed have not changed Alex Lozano's feelings about this weather.

"I love it. Cools it off," he said.

Mayor Schmidt said that the imaging would start Friday morning.