83
Recorded events
4
Direct deaths
10
Direct injuries
$12.4M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Santa Cruz County, Arizona: 83 recorded events between 1997 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #249 nationally and #12 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Santa Cruz County, Arizona: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Santa Cruz County is the 2010s, when 32 of the county's 83 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 Santa Cruz County archive, flash flood makes up 37.9% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #249 for this hazard and #12 within Arizona, putting it in the 91.8 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Aug is the peak month for flash flood in Santa Cruz County with 43 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 13, 2008 | NOGALES | 0 | 2 | 3 | $600K |
| Jul 26, 2004 | NOGALES | 0 | 1 | 2 | $0 |
| Jul 30, 2021 | TUMACACORI | 0 | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 17, 1997 | NOGALES | 0 | 0 | 3 | $0 |
| Aug 15, 2007 | NOGALES | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2, 2025 | PATAGONIA | 0 | $1K |
| Aug 21, 2024 | NOGALES | 0 | $1K |
| Aug 6, 2024 | NOGALES | 0 | $25K |
| Aug 2, 2024 | NOGALES | 0 | $1K |
| Jun 26, 2024 | NOGALES | 0 | $1K |
| Aug 7, 2023 | PATAGONIA | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 21, 2022 | CANELO | 0 | $5K |
| Aug 9, 2022 | NOGALES | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 7, 2022 | NOGALES | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 1, 2022 | NOGALES | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Santa Cruz County
- Thunderstorm Wind 79
- Hail 40
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Heavy rainfall on the Mexican side of the border caused flash flooding in the city of Nogales, Arizona. This was caused by a damaged portion of the underground Nogales Wash. Local emergency management reported that water burst through the underground wash onto the surface just across the International Border. The border wall acted as a dam, keeping most of the flooding on the Mexican side. However, some water did flow through the port of entry into downtown Nogales, Arizona. Several businesses in the downtown business district experienced flooding and two illegal immigrants found two days later in the underground wash are also believed to have drowned due to this flooding. In addition, three illegal immigrants in an underground flood channel beneath the international border were rescued.
One inch of rain in less than 90 minutes caused rapid rises in Josephine Canyon. Two teenagers swimming near a waterfall were swept downstream by a rapid rise in the water level. One teenager drowned and another escaped the floodwaters while sustaining minor injuries and was later rescued.
Portions of downtown Nogales experienced flash flooding. Extensive damage occurred to the Nogales Wash, which is a concrete wash that flows through the city of Nogales. City officials estimated damage at $10 million on the U.S. side of the border.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Santa Cruz County, Arizona?
83 flash flood events are recorded in Santa Cruz County between 1997 and 2025, causing 4 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Santa Cruz County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Santa Cruz County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz County, Arizona.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/arizona/santa-cruz-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.