131
Recorded events
5
Direct deaths
2
Direct injuries
$7.0M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Pinal County, Arizona: 131 recorded events between 1996 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #100 nationally and #8 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Pinal County, Arizona: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Pinal County is the 2010s, when 57 of the county's 131 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 Pinal County archive, flash flood makes up 17.7% of all recorded severe weather across 10 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #100 for this hazard and #8 within Arizona, putting it in the 96.8 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Aug is the peak month for flash flood in Pinal County with 49 recorded events, while Mar 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 9, 2006 | FLORENCE JCT | 0 | 2 | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 8, 2014 | CAMP BONITO | 0 | 1 | 0 | $20K |
| Jul 30, 2012 | BAPCHULE | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 15, 2003 | ORACLE | 0 | 1 | 0 | $50K |
| Aug 1, 2010 | FLORENCE JCT | 0 | 0 | 2 | $50K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 14, 2025 | PALM SPGS | 0 | $20K |
| Oct 13, 2025 | PICACHO | 0 | $500 |
| Oct 12, 2025 | FLORENCE JCT | 0 | $300K |
| Oct 12, 2025 | LIRIM | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 27, 2025 | FLORENCE | 0 | $20K |
| Sep 27, 2025 | FLORENCE | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 26, 2025 | BLACKWATER | 0 | $20K |
| Aug 26, 2025 | RED ROCK | 0 | $1K |
| Jul 26, 2024 | OLBERG | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 13, 2023 | PALM SPGS | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Pinal County
- Thunderstorm Wind 409
- Hail 78
- Heavy Rain 44
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A Gilbert man and his 9-year-old son drowned Saturday crossing a wash flooded with up to 6 feet of water. A Pinal county Sherif's Office spokesman said they were on an unmaintained road when they reached the wash about 2:30 pm and entered it. The current rolled the SUV. Two other occupants escaped the vehicle and clung to a tree until help arrived.
Around 1.50 to 1.75 inches of rain fell in 30 minutes, with isolated reports of 1.90 inches. The Bonito Wash flooded several homes in the Campo Bonito area. Along the Canada del Oro Wash, the Rancho Solano gauge recorded a 9 foot rise of water. Several houses sustained flood damage. To compound the problem of the fast rising water, two culverts at a bridge downstream became blocked.
Heavy rainfall from Norbert extended into the early afternoon hours. Several additional swift water rescues occurred. One occurred in the Pima Wash on Rudasill Rd between 1st Avenue and Oracle Road, where a single occupant was successfully rescued after his vehicle was swept off the road by quickly flowing water. Around the same time but further north, a swift water rescue occurred near Hardy Rd and Northern Ave in Oro Valley. Yet another rescue occurred when a 69-year old man and his 76-year old wife got caught in flash flood waters near Highway 79 in Oracle Junction. The couple attempted to drive through flood waters near Suizo Road when their Honda Accord began floating down Cadillac Wash. They both exited the car and the man made it to dry land, but his wife was regrettably swept down the wash and perished as she was unable to swim.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Pinal County, Arizona?
131 flash flood events are recorded in Pinal County between 1996 and 2025, causing 5 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Pinal County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Pinal County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Pinal 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 Pinal County, Arizona.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/arizona/pinal-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.