Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2026

Flash Flood Warning 231, NWS Tucson, AZ

September 24, 2026Pima County, Arizona

NWS Tucson, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Sep 24, 2026, 1:19 PM MST for Pima County, Arizona. It was in force for 3 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Sep 24, 2026, 1:19 PM MST (20:19 UTC)
Expired
Sep 24, 2026, 4:15 PM MST
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Tucson, AZ
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Pima County, AZ

The radar

The Tucson radar (KEMX), 26 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:19 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this flash flood warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

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 text

As transmitted.

513 
WGUS55 KTWC 242019
FFWTWC
AZC019-242315-
/O.NEW.KTWC.FF.W.0231.260924T2019Z-260924T2315Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
119 PM MST Thu Sep 24 2026

The National Weather Service in Tucson has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Eastern Pima County in southeastern Arizona...

* Until 415 PM MST.

* At 119 PM MST, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing
  heavy rain across the warned area. Between 0.5 and 1 inch of rain
  has fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.

  HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated.

  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...
  Tucson, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tanque Verde, Vail, Saguaro
  National Park East and Rita Ranch.

This includes Interstate 10 between mile markers 269 and 280.

This includes the following Flash Flood Prone Locations...
Harrison Rd at Pantano Wash, Wentworth Rd at Tanque Verde Wash,
Tanque Verde Loop Rd at Tanque Verde Wash, Old Spanish Trl at Rincon
Creek, Escalante Rd at Atterbury Wash, Camino Loma Alta at Rincon
Creek, Freeman Rd between Broadway and Old Spanish Trail and Old
Spanish Trail at Jeremy Wash.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads.

&&

LAT...LON 3202 11076 3201 11071 3205 11069 3226 11068
      3227 11085 3203 11089

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED

$$

GLZ
2 follow-up statements
546 
WGUS75 KTWC 242048
FFSTWC

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
148 PM MST Thu Sep 24 2026

AZC019-242315-
/O.CON.KTWC.FF.W.0231.000000T0000Z-260924T2315Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Pima AZ-
148 PM MST Thu Sep 24 2026

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 415 PM MST THIS
AFTERNOON FOR EASTERN PIMA COUNTY...

At 148 PM MST, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy
rain across the warned area. Between 0.7 and 1.2 inches of rain have
fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.

HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

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...
  Tucson, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tanque Verde, Vail, Saguaro
  National Park East and Rita Ranch.

This includes Interstate 10 between mile markers 269 and 280.

This includes the following Flash Flood Prone Locations...
Harrison Rd at Pantano Wash, Wentworth Rd at Tanque Verde Wash,
Tanque Verde Loop Rd at Tanque Verde Wash, Old Spanish Trl at Rincon
Creek, Escalante Rd at Atterbury Wash, Camino Loma Alta at Rincon
Creek, Freeman Rd between Broadway and Old Spanish Trail and Old
Spanish Trail at Jeremy Wash.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads.

&&

LAT...LON 3202 11076 3201 11071 3205 11069 3226 11068
      3227 11085 3203 11089

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED

$$

GLZ
257 
WGUS75 KTWC 242309
FFSTWC

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
409 PM MST Thu Sep 24 2026

AZC019-242319-
/O.EXP.KTWC.FF.W.0231.000000T0000Z-260924T2315Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Pima AZ-
409 PM MST Thu Sep 24 2026

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 415 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR
EASTERN PIMA COUNTY...

The heavy rain has ended. Flood waters have receded. Flooding is no
longer expected to pose a threat. Please continue to heed remaining
road closures.

&&

LAT...LON 3202 11076 3201 11071 3205 11069 3226 11068
      3227 11085 3203 11089

$$

DVS

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 Sep 24, 12:20 PM MST, 59 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 24, 12:20 PM MST, 59 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
1220 PM MST Thu Sep 24 2026

.SYNOPSIS...The chance of showers and thunderstorms continues today,
with the stronger thunderstorms producing heavy rainfall and an
isolated threat of flash flooding. Drier air then overspreads
southeast Arizona Friday and Saturday. Moisture moves back into the
area late in the weekend and early next week, for a return of the
chance of showers and thunderstorms. High temperatures will be a
couple of degrees below normal today, warming to slightly above
normal over the weekend and then lowering several degrees below
normal early to mid next week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...The large scale pattern has a baggy trough to our west
and high pressure aloft centered along the far eastern Texas Gulf
Coast. A storm system will move across the northern tier of states
Friday and Saturday, flattening the upper high and shifting it over
the Gulf. A low pressure system and associated trough will then move
across central California and the Great Basin early next week as
Hurricane Polo moves northwestward to along the Baja Mexico coast.

The showers and thunderstorms earlier today across central/western
Pima County were in response to a mid level disturbance now parked
over far southwest Arizona. The models lift this disturbance slowly
north/northeast across Arizona later today. PWATs hold steady in the
1.0 to 1.3 inch range today, with isolated to scattered showers and
thunderstorms developing during the afternoon hours mainly east of a
Nogales to Sells line. The high res models then lift these showers
and thunderstorms to the northeast across the eastern portion of the
forecast area through the evening hours tonight. The stronger
thunderstorms will be capable of producing heavy rainfall and an
isolated threat of flash flooding.

Drier air begins to overspread southeast Arizona from the west on
Friday, as the flow turns southwest/west in response to the system
tracking east across the northern tier of states. There will still
be a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms on Friday across far
eastern areas along the New Mexico state line. However by Saturday,
PWATs lower down into the 0.60 to 0.80 inch range and shut down
convection chances across southeast Arizona.

Sunday into early next week, the combination of an upper low/trough
moving into the West Coast and Hurricane Polo moving northward along
the Mexico coast will help spread moisture back across southeast
Arizona from the south. This moisture begins to move back into the
area on Sunday, with deeper moisture moving in Monday and Tuesday
and a chance of showers and thunderstorms across all of southeast
Arizona. The NHC official track for Hurricane Polo now shows Polo
moving west of the Baja Peninsula tip late Sunday and then curving
eastward into central Gulf of California south of the Baja Spur by 6
AM Tuesday. While Polo will help push moisture northward through
Mexico as it tracks north, this track/timing will have little direct
impact on southeast Arizona as most ensembles continue to curve Polo
eastward into central Sonora to the south of Hermosillo. The current
NHC track/timing would put Polo on the back side of the trough axis
swinging through the region, which would then shunt Polo remnants
northeast across northern Mexico and into New Mexico and west Texas.
While there is still some uncertainty in the exact track/timing of
Polo, what may be a bigger player in our weather early next week
(than the Polo remnants) will be sharp trough dynamics interacting
with the moisture in place across southeast Arizona as this system
moves across the region.

Behind the trough, there will be a slight chance of showers and
thunderstorms along the International Border/New Mexico state line
on Wednesday of next week. High pressure aloft then builds over the
eastern Pacific Ocean and southeast Arizona dries out significantly
under westerly flow for the end of next week. Both the calendar date
(October) and moisture profile reflect the end of Monsoon 2026.

Overall, high temperatures will be a couple of degrees below normal
today, warming to slightly above normal over the weekend and then
lowering several degrees below normal early to mid next week.

&&

.AVIATION...Valid through 26/00Z.
SCT-BKN clouds at 6k-9k ft AGL. ISOLD-SCT -TSRA/-SHRA thru 25/04Z
then a slight chance of -TSRA/-SHRA east of a KALK to KSAD line
again aft 25/18Z. Gusty winds to 40 kts, heavy rain with low
visibility and mountain obscurations possible with the -TSRA. SFC
wind SELY/SLY thru 25/18Z, with a SWLY to NWLY in direction aft
25/18Z. Outside of any -TSRA, SFC wind less than 12 kts thru the
valid period. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF amendments.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...A chance of showers and thunderstorms continues
into tonight, with the stronger thunderstorms producing heavy
rainfall and an isolated threat of flash flooding. Drier air then
overspreads southeast Arizona Friday and Saturday. Moisture moves
back into the area late in the weekend and early next week, for a
return of the chance of showers and thunderstorms. High temperatures
will be a couple of degrees below normal today, warming to slightly
above normal over the weekend and then lowering several degrees
below normal early to mid next week. Minimum RH values will be in
the 17-30 percent range from Tucson westward through the middle of
next week, with values in the 27-40 percent range east of Tucson
(even higher in the mountains). 20-foot winds will be less than 15
mph into early next week. Gusty and erratic winds will be possible
with any thunderstorm.

&&

.TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.

&&

Zell

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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 24, 3:02 AM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPima3 hr
Sep 24, 12:59 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPima6 min
Sep 24, 1:05 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima115 min
Sep 24, 1:07 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima38 min
Sep 24, 1:25 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPinal50 min
Sep 24, 1:37 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPinal113 min
Sep 24, 2:15 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPinal45 min
Sep 24, 2:24 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPinal2 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.