231
Recorded events
15
Direct deaths
2
Direct injuries
$78.1M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Gila County, Arizona: 231 recorded events between 1996 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #30 nationally and #6 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Gila County, Arizona: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Gila County is the 2020s, when 123 of the county's 231 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 Gila County archive, flash flood makes up 43.2% of all recorded severe weather across 11 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #30 for this hazard and #6 within Arizona, putting it in the 99.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for flash flood in Gila County with 93 recorded events, while Apr 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 15, 2017 | WASHINGTON PARK | 0 | 10 | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 27, 2025 | PINAL | 0 | 3 | 0 | $25.0M |
| Jul 23, 2019 | RADIUM | 0 | 1 | 1 | $20K |
| Feb 22, 2020 | ROOSEVELT GRPVN ARPT | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 11, 1999 | PAYSON | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 19, 2025 | STRAWBERRY | 0 | $0 |
| Oct 13, 2025 | BORCH | 0 | $0 |
| Oct 13, 2025 | GLOBE SAN CARLOS FCL | 0 | $2K |
| Oct 13, 2025 | GLOBE | 0 | $0 |
| Oct 13, 2025 | GLOBE | 0 | $0 |
| Oct 13, 2025 | GLOBE | 0 | $0 |
| Oct 12, 2025 | CUTTER | 0 | $0 |
| Oct 12, 2025 | MIAMI | 0 | $3.0M |
| Oct 12, 2025 | GLOBE | 0 | $0 |
| Oct 12, 2025 | MIAMI | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Gila County
- Thunderstorm Wind 91
- Heavy Rain 88
- Hail 74
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Very heavy rain over the Highland Fire scar and surrounding areas produced flash flooding in Ellison Creek which flows into the East Verde River. This is a very popular swimming area during the summer. Ten people were killed by the flooding (ages 2 to 57). Four people were rescued by helicopter after they were trapped in trees.
Thunderstorms with very heavy rain developed across portions of southern Gila County during the evening hours on July 22nd; some of the stronger storms produced peak rain rates in excess of one inch per hour that were sufficient to cause episodes of flash flooding. Some of the flash flooding affected the area near the town of Globe, and to the northeast along and to the west of Highway 77. At 1834MST the public reported that water was flowing across Glendale Avenue in Central Heights, about 2 miles east of Claypool. Later that evening at 1950MST, according to the Gila County Sheriff's Office two adults were driving a pickup truck to the north of Globe and were swept away by floodwaters as they tried to cross Irene Gulch. One of the adults was injured but ultimately rescued while the other, a 52 year old woman, perished. They were swept away about 3 miles to the northeast of the town of Claypool. A Flash Flood Warning had been issued for the area well in advance but was either not received or was not heeded.
Two people were canyoneering in Bull Canyon (also known as Water Slide Canyon) near Cherry Creek when one was swept away by rushing waters. An inch and a half to two inches of rain had fallen in the drainage in the previous 11 hours.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Gila County, Arizona?
231 flash flood events are recorded in Gila County between 1996 and 2025, causing 15 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Gila County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Gila County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Gila 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 Gila County, Arizona.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/arizona/gila-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.