Flood in Maricopa County, Arizona

Two men paddle boarding down the Salt River were caught in an undercurrent near 19th Avenue and Broadway on the 9th. They became stuck in the undercurrent around 1000MST and began yelling for help before disappearing under the water. The bodies of the two men were recovered about a week later on the 15th and 16th. Flow in the Salt River was unusually high at the time due to continued upstream releases from Granite Reef Dam. Start time based on continued releases from Granite Reef Dam.

Maricopa County Sheriff's deputies received a call around 1145 MST on the 18th of a reported drowning after an 81-year-old man fell out of his kayak and didn't resurface. The incident occurred near the Pebble Beach area along the Salt River. Other kayakers on the river pulled the man out and administered first aid but were not successful. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Approximately 20 minutes later, a family kayaking downstream on the Salt River near the Phon D Sutton Recreation Area had to be rescued after their kayak capsized. The family managed to stay afloat by holding onto some bushes and trees. All of the family members were safely rescued via helicopter by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. Ongoing dam releases were resulting in strong currents in the river at the time of these incidents. Event timing is based on downstream Granite Reef Dam releases.

Streets were closed near the Salt River as well as many creeks and washes after the third major storm system moved through the area. Rainfall prior to and during the day on Friday amounted to between 5 and 7 inches. The swollen creeks and washes left many low-lying areas flooded for days, with damaged homes and businesses.