Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2026

Flash Flood Warning 129, NWS Tucson, AZ

August 11, 2026Cochise County, Santa Cruz County, Arizona

NWS Tucson, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Aug 11, 2026, 8:50 PM MST for Cochise County, Santa Cruz County, Arizona. It was in force for 3 hr. 3 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Aug 11, 2026, 8:50 PM MST (03:50 UTC)
Expired
Aug 11, 2026, 11:45 PM MST
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Tucson, AZ
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Cochise County, AZ, Santa Cruz County, AZ

The radar

The Tucson radar (KEMX), 56 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:49 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Aug 11, 9:00 PM MSTFLASH FLOOD10 Se Sierra Vista, AZDelayed report. Road impassable due to flooding.
Aug 11, 9:00 PM MSTFLASH FLOOD13 Se Sierra Vista, AZDelayed report. Hargis Ranch rd up to 1 foot of water on roadway making it impassable due to flooding.
Aug 11, 11:30 PM MSTFLASH FLOOD11 Wnw Bisbee, AZDelayed report. Hereford rd between mile post 8 and 9 closed due to flooding.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched 3 storm reports to this flash flood warning; the first came 10 minutes after it went out.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Santa Teresa, NM (KEPZ), launched 00:00Z, 3.8 hours before the alert went out and 343 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Santa Teresa, NM at 00:00Z on 2026-08-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 146 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Santa Teresa, NM at 00:00Z on 2026-08-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -13 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
146 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-30 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
3771 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
16 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-13 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-20 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

749 
WGUS55 KTWC 120350
FFWTWC
AZC003-023-120645-
/O.NEW.KTWC.FF.W.0129.260812T0350Z-260812T0645Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
850 PM MST Tue Aug 11 2026

The National Weather Service in Tucson has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Southwestern Cochise County in southeastern Arizona...
  Southeastern Santa Cruz County in southeastern Arizona...

* Until 1145 PM MST.

* At 850 PM MST, trained weather spotters reported thunderstorms
  producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 2 inches
  of rain have fallen. Gauges in Sierra Vista ad Hereford have
  recorded 1 to 1.5 inches in the past 45 minutes. Additional
  rainfall amounts up to 1 inch are possible in the warned area.
  Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.

  HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

  SOURCE...Trained spotters reported.

  IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas,
           highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor
           drainage and low-lying areas.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Sierra Vista, Hereford, Fort Huachuca, Parker Canyon Lake,
  Palominas, Ramsey Canyon Preserve, Coronado National Memorial and
  Canelo.

This includes the following highways...
Route 90 between mile markers 315 and 333. Route 80 between mile
markers 323 and 327. Route 92 between mile markers 322 and 342. Route
83 between mile markers 3 and 16.

This includes the following Flash Flood Prone Locations...
Moson Rd from HWY 90 and Hereford Rd.

This includes the following streams and drainages...
  Spring Creek, Santa Cruz River, Turkey Creek, San Pedro River,
  Slaughter House Wash and Babocomari River.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.

Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the
dangers of flooding.

&&

LAT...LON 3133 11055 3147 11059 3160 11051 3161 11025
      3167 10997 3156 11005 3144 11007 3133 11008

FLASH FLOOD...OBSERVED

$$

AWH
2 follow-up statements
991 
WGUS75 KTWC 120513
FFSTWC

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
1013 PM MST Tue Aug 11 2026

AZC003-023-120645-
/O.CON.KTWC.FF.W.0129.000000T0000Z-260812T0645Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Cochise AZ-Santa Cruz AZ-
1013 PM MST Tue Aug 11 2026

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1145 PM MST THIS
EVENING FOR SOUTHWESTERN COCHISE AND SOUTHEASTERN SANTA CRUZ
COUNTIES...

At 1013 PM MST, trained weather spotters reported thunderstorms
producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 2 inches
of rain have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts up to 1 inch are
possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to
begin shortly.

HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

SOURCE...Trained spotters reported.

IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas,
         highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor
         drainage and low-lying areas.

Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Sierra Vista, Hereford, Fort Huachuca, Parker Canyon Lake,
  Palominas, Ramsey Canyon Preserve, Coronado National Memorial and
  Canelo.

This includes the following highways...
Route 90 between mile markers 315 and 333. Route 80 between mile
markers 323 and 327. Route 92 between mile markers 322 and 342. Route
83 between mile markers 3 and 16.

This includes the following Flash Flood Prone Locations...
Moson Rd from HWY 90 and Hereford Rd.

This includes the following streams and drainages...
  Spring Creek, Santa Cruz River, Turkey Creek, San Pedro River,
  Slaughter House Wash and Babocomari River.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.

Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the
dangers of flooding.

&&

LAT...LON 3167 10997 3156 11005 3144 11007 3133 11008
      3133 11055 3147 11059 3160 11051 3161 11025

FLASH FLOOD...OBSERVED

$$

AWH
277 
WGUS75 KTWC 120639
FFSTWC

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
1139 PM MST Tue Aug 11 2026

AZC003-023-120649-
/O.EXP.KTWC.FF.W.0129.000000T0000Z-260812T0645Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Cochise AZ-Santa Cruz AZ-
1139 PM MST Tue Aug 11 2026

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 1145 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR
SOUTHWESTERN COCHISE AND SOUTHEASTERN SANTA CRUZ COUNTIES...

Flood waters are starting to recede as the heavy rain has ended.
However scattered light to moderate showers will continue through 1
am Wednesday. Flash flooding is no longer expected to pose a threat.
Please continue to heed remaining road closures.

&&

LAT...LON 3167 10997 3156 11005 3144 11007 3133 11008
      3133 11055 3147 11059 3160 11051 3161 11025

$$

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Tucson, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Aug 11, 12:11 PM MST, 8 hours 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 11, 12:11 PM MST, 8 hours 39 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
1211 PM MST Tue Aug 11 2026

.SYNOPSIS...The combination of a shifting weather pattern aloft
and deep moisture residing across the region will result in
scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms across Southeast
Arizona with the potential for heavy rain the next few days.
Although most of the storms will produce between a half and one
inch of rain, the stronger storms are capable of producing
locally heavier amounts between 1-3 inches. Otherwise, a drier
southwest flow aloft will bring a downturn in daily storm
activity Friday into the weekend. High temperatures will be near
normal today, then 3 to 6 degrees below normal tomorrow and
Thursday before temperatures warm again into the weekend.

&&

.DISCUSSION...The upper pattern late this morning is defined by
an upper-level ridge of high pressure centered just east of the
Four Corners and an inverted trough oriented SW-NE across Chihuahua
Mexico. The moisture profile is defined by the GOES precipitable
water imagery, indicating some drier air hanging out along the
AZ/NM border (PWATs 1.00-1.10 inches), with deeper moisture
moving east into Tucson (PWATs 1.25 inches) and very deep
moisture PWATs between 1.50-2.00 inches across the western
deserts.

I have been around here long enough to know that the bigger and
more active thunderstorm days for Southeast Arizona usually
align with big movements of the upper high. Today is no different.
The upper-high center near the Four Corners will move east over
the next 24 to 36 hours, eventually making its way to central
Oklahoma by 13/00Z Wednesday afternoon. As this happens, not
only will we experience general deformation aloft assisting
lift across the region, but that inverted trough in Chihuahua
Mexico will rotate up into the far SE corner of AZ by this
afternoon providing a better lifting mechanism. The best lift
today will initially occur across SRN Cochise early this
afternoon, then expand toward the NW into north-central Pima and
SE Pinal counties by 12/06Z this evening.

The drier airmass residing along the AZ/NM border today will
increase the potential for strong organized thunderstorm outflows
with the initial development. This is supported by the 11/12Z
HREF which suggests a 10 percent probability for wind gusts 50+
kts in SE Cochise county this afternoon. As the storms progress
to the northwest, they move into that deeper moist airmass which
shifts the potential from wind to heavy rain. The 11/12Z HREF
3-hr probability-matched mean QPF indicates a 10 percent
probability for rainfall in excess of 3 inches across southern
Cochise and Santa Cruz counties between 2-5 pm MST, expanding
across the eastern half of Pima county and SE Pinal counties
between 5-8 pm MST. Given this, and the deep moisture to the
west that would feed into the storms in the low-to-mid levels,
we decided to expand the coverage of the Flash Flood Watch to
include central Pima county (including the Tohono O'odham
Nation) as well as SE Pinal county. My concern is that as the
upper-high center moves east, the NW progress of the convection
will stall out across the central portions of the CWA late this
evening and stick around through the night. Granted, the
convective complex will continue to weaken, but even moderate
rainfall over the same spot will keep the concern for flash
flooding into the early morning hours.

Otherwise, Wednesday and Thursday still look quite wet as the
flow becomes southerly and any wiggle/disturbance in the flow
will easily result in convection across our neck of the woods.
Re-iterating the previous forecast discussion...expect a downturn
in daily thunderstorm activity Friday into the weekend as drier
air pushes across the area under southwest flow aloft. Isolated
thunderstorms at best, and mostly east of Tucson. Temperatures
will be near normal today, then be about 3 to 6 degrees below
normal Wednesday and Thursday, with warming thereafter to above
normal values for this weekend.

&&

.AVIATION... Valid thru 13/00Z. SCT-BKN 8-12k ft AGL with
widely scattered -SHRA/-TSRA thru 11/22z then scattered to
numerous -SHRA/TS contg thru end of valid pd. Isold vsbys 1SM
+TSRA. Gusty erratic winds of 35-50 kts possible with any
thunderstorm, especially near KDUG this afternoon. Outside of
storms SFC winds WLY/NWLY at 8-12 kts with ocnl gusts to 20 kts
this aftn and evening. SFC winds light and terrain driven after
12/06Z. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF amendments.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...The combination of a shifting weather pattern aloft
and deep moisture residing across the region will result in
scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms across Southeast
Arizona with the potential for heavy rain the next few days.
Although most of the storms will produce between a half and one
inch of rain, the stronger storms are capable of producing
locally heavier amounts between 1-3 inches. Otherwise, a drier
southwest flow aloft will bring a downturn in daily storm
activity Friday into the weekend. Minimum relative humidity
will be 20-40 percent through Thursday lowering to around 15-30
percent thereafter. Temperatures will be near normal through
Tuesday, dropping to below normal Wednesday and Thursday, then
warming again next weekend. Outside of thunderstorms, winds
terrain driven to around 10 mph with occasional afternoon gusts
to 20 mph.

&&

.TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Flood Watch from 2 PM MST this afternoon through this evening
for AZZ502>509-511>515.

&&

Visit us on Facebook, X, YouTube, and at weather.gov/Tucson

The office that day

Everything else NWS Tucson, AZ issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 11, 5:10 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCCochise37 min
Aug 11, 5:14 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCGreenlee3 hr
Aug 11, 5:38 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCCochise2 hr
Aug 11, 6:05 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCCochise40 min
Aug 11, 6:42 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCCochise63 min
Aug 11, 6:53 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCCochise3 hr
Aug 11, 7:17 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCCochise3 hr
Aug 11, 7:38 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCCochise25 min
Aug 11, 8:14 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCCochise3 hr
Aug 11, 8:18 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCCochise42 min
Aug 11, 10:12 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCCochise, Santa Cruz2 hr
Aug 12, 1:34 AM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCCochise3 hr
Aug 12, 2:20 AM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima3 hr
Aug 12, 9:00 AM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPima13 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Arizona, 2026Every flash flood warning in 2026

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.