You Won’t Believe What Happened at This Arizona Target Store

Last summer, the summer monsoons unleashed a fury of thunder and lightning and dumped a deluge of rain onto the unsuspecting city. Washes filled, streets flooded, and the entire town turned into a soupy mess. For about an hour, most of the city returned to normal.

Sierra Vista's sole Target store did not fare quite so well. The sudden, intense rain revealed that the retailer's roof wasn't up to the challenge.

After the storm, my family stopped in to pick up a few essentials, not realizing how much chaos the store employees were dealing with, trying to keep customers safe and products dry.

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The Target of the Storm's Fury

My husband and I decided to make a trip to Target after dinner. We'd watched as the storm dumped truckloads of pouring rain onto Sierra Vista, and we saw it all from a safe vantage point: a restaurant in nearby Hereford.

READ: 5 Ways to Prepare Your Arizona Home for Monsoon Season

We waited out the worst of it, but didn't realize how intensely it had hit Sierra Vista, just a few short miles away.

As we walked into Target, a security guard caught us at the door. "Be careful," he cautioned, "the storm caused our roof to leak, so the floors may still be a little wet. We're working on cleaning everything up; just be careful."

We assured him we'd watch our step. How bad could it be, we wondered.

The Sierra Vista Target Team Works Together to Keep Everyone Safe

I've worked in retail and food service. Most days are fairly predictable, but now and then, it seems like the world throws a curveball your way—only you're playing soccer with basketballs and have no idea what the rules are. And why are you wearing a football helmet?

READ: Monsoon Season: 3 Reasons this is the Best Time in Arizona

Yeah, it was kind of like that for the crew at the Sierra Vista Target that weekend. Everywhere we walked, there were buckets, trash cans, and all manner of makeshift "rain catchers" positioned to absorb the drips.

Caution tape was strewn across every aisle, and caution signs were on the floor, redirecting customers to the safest route through the store aisles.

The staff was everywhere, reminding customers to be cautious, pointing out specific hazards, and suggesting the best way to navigate around the obstacles. My husband and I imagined we were in a fancy maze at a county fair, tasked with playing a game to find the best route to pick out peanut butter or acquire a loaf of bread, all the time stepping gingerly around rain receptacles.

In a word, the crew working at Target that night was amazing. As we checked out and paid for our groceries, the tired-looking cashier told us it had been a crazy night - crazier even than the evidence might suggest.

The cashier said that fire alarms had sounded during the storm, customers had been evacuated, and cleanup and rain catchment had been placed, but everyone with a free set of hands.

The crew had earned their pay that night. In spite of the melee—or maybe because of it—I was reminded once again why the Sierra Vista Target is one of my favorite places to shop.