521
Recorded events
19
Direct deaths
6
Direct injuries
$25.9M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Pima County, Arizona: 521 recorded events between 1996 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #4 nationally and #3 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Pima County, Arizona: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Pima County is the 2000s, when 176 of the county's 521 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Pima County archive, flash flood makes up 30.4% of all recorded severe weather across 11 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #4 for this hazard and #3 within Arizona, putting it in the 99.9 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for flash flood in Pima County with 221 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 4, 2008 | WICKCHOUPAI | 0 | 3 | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 22, 2024 | (DMA)DAVIS MONTHAN A | 0 | 2 | 0 | $10K |
| Aug 4, 2007 | TUCSON | 0 | 2 | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 8, 2024 | EMERY PARK | 0 | 1 | 0 | $1K |
| Jul 23, 2020 | TUCSON | 0 | 1 | 0 | $50K |
| Aug 13, 2018 | SAHUARITA | 0 | 1 | 0 | $15K |
| Sep 8, 2014 | (DMA)DAVIS MONTHAN A | 0 | 1 | 0 | $25K |
| Sep 15, 2011 | SAHUARITA | 0 | 1 | 0 | $500K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 13, 2025 | JAYNES | 0 | $30K |
| Oct 13, 2025 | SABINO | 0 | $1K |
| Oct 13, 2025 | (DMA)DAVIS MONTHAN A | 0 | $50K |
| Oct 13, 2025 | (TUS)TUCSON INTL ARP | 0 | $1K |
| Oct 13, 2025 | (TUS)TUCSON INTL ARP | 0 | $1K |
| Oct 13, 2025 | TUSCON RYAN FLD ARPT | 0 | $1K |
| Oct 13, 2025 | TUSCON RYAN FLD ARPT | 0 | $30K |
| Oct 13, 2025 | (DMA)DAVIS MONTHAN A | 0 | $50K |
| Oct 13, 2025 | (DMA)DAVIS MONTHAN A | 0 | $50K |
| Oct 13, 2025 | (DMA)DAVIS MONTHAN A | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Pima County
- Thunderstorm Wind 798
- Hail 189
- Lightning 78
- Flood 43
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Thunderstorms brought heavy intense rainfall over the Tucson Metro area. Rainfall totals ranged from 1 to 2.5 inches from Pima County Alert Gauges. ||Tucson Fire Department responded to over 25 calls with 15 of those calls relating to stranded drivers or stuck in swift moving water. Two adults were found dead in a wash after a swift water rescue attempt.
Extremely heavy rainfall across southern Tucson resulted in significant wash and stream flooding downstream from Tucson. Overflowing washes toppled a wall in the Rancho Sahuarita subdivision in Sahuarita resulting in damage to 15 homes and a muddy mess. Water up to one foot was observed in some of the homes. The raging Santa Cruz River also claimed the life of a homeless man that was living under the Grant Road Bridge. Rescuers spotted the man holding onto the bridge pillar, but before they were able to reach him he lost his grip and was swept down the river. His body was found the next day near the Ina Road bridge.
Extremely heavy rainfall across the Tucson Metro Area on the morning on September 7th prompted widespread flash flooding. Numerous roads across the Tucson Metro Area were impassable and closed due to flooding. Additionally, at least ten vehicles became stuck in different low water crossings throughout the city. Numerous swift water rescues were performed. One man was killed when he was swept downstream by flood waters. The man was first spotted in the Rodeo Wash at the intersection of South Fletcher Avenue and East Irvington Road. His body was later discovered 15 miles downstream. Rainfall amounts throughout the Tucson Metro Area ranged from three quarters of an inch to almost two inches. The Tucson International Airport recorded 1.14 inches of rain.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Pima County, Arizona?
521 flash flood events are recorded in Pima County between 1996 and 2025, causing 19 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Pima County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Pima County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Pima County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Flash Flood in Pima County, Arizona.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/arizona/pima-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.