Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2026
Flash Flood Warning 40, NWS Tucson, AZ
NWS Tucson, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Jul 16, 2026, 2:42 PM MST for Cochise 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
- Jul 16, 2026, 2:42 PM MST (21:42 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 16, 2026, 5:45 PM MST
- In force
- 3 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Tucson, AZ
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Flood severity
- None
County Cochise County, AZ
The radar
The Tucson radar (KEMX), 107 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:41 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 nearest sounding before it
Phoenix, AZ (KPSR), launched 12:00Z, 9.7 hours before the alert went out and 303 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 33 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -256 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 2003 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 8 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 22 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 84 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted.
592
WGUS55 KTWC 162142
FFWTWC
AZC003-170045-
/O.NEW.KTWC.FF.W.0040.260716T2142Z-260717T0045Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
242 PM MST Thu Jul 16 2026
The National Weather Service in Tucson has issued a
* Flash Flood Warning for...
South Central Cochise County in southeastern Arizona...
* Until 545 PM MST.
* At 242 PM MST, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing
heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 1.5 inches of rain
have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of 0.5 to 0.8 inches are
possible in the warned area. 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...
Bisbee-Douglas Airport and McNeal.
This includes Route 191 between mile markers 7 and 22.
This includes the following streams and drainages...
Leslie Creek, Big Bend Creek and Whitewater Draw.
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 3176 10943 3176 10953 3165 10968 3156 10967
3144 10961 3154 10941
FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED
$$
KJS2 follow-up statements
213
WGUS75 KTWC 162345
FFSTWC
Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
445 PM MST Thu Jul 16 2026
AZC003-170045-
/O.CON.KTWC.FF.W.0040.000000T0000Z-260717T0045Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Cochise AZ-
445 PM MST Thu Jul 16 2026
...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 545 PM MST THIS
AFTERNOON FOR SOUTH CENTRAL COCHISE COUNTY...
At 445 PM MST, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy
rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 1.5 inches of rain have
fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.
HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas,
highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor
drainage and low-lying areas.
Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
Bisbee-Douglas Airport and McNeal.
This includes Route 191 between mile markers 7 and 22.
This includes the following streams and drainages...
Big Bend Creek, Leslie Creek and Whitewater Draw.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.
Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads.
&&
LAT...LON 3176 10943 3176 10953 3165 10968 3156 10967
3144 10961 3154 10941
FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED
$$
GEL892
WGUS75 KTWC 170044
FFSTWC
Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
544 PM MST Thu Jul 16 2026
AZC003-170054-
/O.EXP.KTWC.FF.W.0040.000000T0000Z-260717T0045Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Cochise AZ-
544 PM MST Thu Jul 16 2026
...FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 545 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR
SOUTH CENTRAL COCHISE COUNTY...
The heavy rain has ended. Flooding is no longer expected to pose a
threat. Please continue to heed remaining road closures.
A Flood Watch remains in effect until 900 PM MST for a portion of
Southeast Arizona.
&&
LAT...LON 3176 10943 3176 10953 3165 10968 3156 10967
3144 10961 3154 10941
$$
KJSWhat 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 Jul 16, 2:33 PM MST, 9 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 16, 2:33 PM MST, 9 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tucson AZ 233 PM MST Thu Jul 16 2026 .SYNOPSIS...Showers and thunderstorms this afternoon and evening across southeast Arizona with an increased risk of flash flooding. Gusty winds and blowing dust will also be possible with any thunderstorm. Chances for thunderstorms will continue through the coming week with day to day variability in location and severity. && .DISCUSSION...My concern when hoisting a flash flood watch 24 hours in advance during the monsoon is what happens the day before and will there be considerable debris clouds starting the morning to mess with the flash flood day forecast. Well that happened this morning, an OH NO moment, with a considerable cloud deck and very light showers/virga across the area. This cloud deck has been slowly eroding this afternoon with storms developing rather quick in the cloud breaks in a rather moist and unstable atmosphere. The upper air pattern today is rather chaotic today with upper low over wrn TX and an upper high centered over NW AZ bringing a northerly diffluent flow aloft across the area. In addition, there is an MCV west of Organ Pipe Ntl Mon that is developing storms in western Pima county. PWATs across the area ranged from 1.3" near AZ/NM border to almost 2" over wrn AZ. The unstable atmosphere combined with the above normal moisture will bring an increased flash flooding threat to most of the area. Hourly rainfall rates from some of the strongest storms could exceed 2"/hour so some of the flash flooding could be considerable on a localized basis. Flash Flood Watch continues for Graham/Cochise counties thru 9 pm, and for Pinal, Pima and Santa Cruz counties until 12 am Friday. The threat for severe storms is limited with isolated gusts up to 55 mph possible. Activity diminishing overnight with likely considerable cloud cover around Friday morning. Likely to have another slow start to the convection, with CAMs hitting the Intl border with heavy rain. Thunderstorm chances continue daily this weekend and into next week with day to day variability. Ensemble models show the upper level ridge becoming centered again over or near the Four Corners region next week keeping an active monsoon pattern across the area. High temperatures over the next 7 days will remain below normal. && .AVIATION...Valid through 18/00Z Showers and thunderstorms will continue 17/07Z before slowly diminishing thru 17/13z. Heavy rain, mountain obscurations, and erratic strong wind gusts of 35-45 kts possible with any storm, with ceilings mainly 9k-12k feet. Outside of thunderstorms, surface winds generally under 10 kts. Chance of -SHRA/TS developing aft 17/19z. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF amendments. && .FIRE WEATHER...Daily chances for thunderstorms will continue each afternoon and evening through the next 7 days with day to day variability. Minimum relative humidity 25-30 percent in the lower desert locations and above 40 percent in the mountains this week. Winds this week will remain mainly light and under 15 mph, though strong and erratic winds will be possible with any thunderstorm. && .HYDROLOGY... Heavy rains through tonight may lead to significant rises in washes, creeks and rivers, especially from western Cochise county west through Santa Cruz and into central Pima county. && .TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Flood Watch until 9 PM MST this evening for AZZ507>509-511>513. Flood Watch through late tonight for AZZ502>506-514-515. && 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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 15, 5:40 PM MST | Flash Flood Warning | TWC | Pinal | 3 hr |
| Jul 15, 5:48 PM MST | Dust Storm Advisory | TWC | Pima, Pinal | 69 min |
| Jul 15, 5:53 PM MST | Flash Flood Warning | TWC | Pima | 3 hr |
| Jul 15, 6:02 PM MST | Areal Flood Advisory | TWC | Pima | 3 hr |
| Jul 15, 6:21 PM MST | Flash Flood Warning | TWC | Pima | 3 hr |
| Jul 15, 6:57 PM MST | Flash Flood Warning | TWC | Pima | 3 hr |
| Jul 15, 6:59 PM MST | Dust Storm Warning | TWC | Pima, Pinal | 61 min |
| Jul 15, 9:18 PM MST | Areal Flood Advisory | TWC | Pima | 3 hr |
| Jul 16, 1:51 PM MST | Flash Flood Warning | TWC | Cochise | 4 hr |
| Jul 16, 2:02 PM MST | Flash Flood Warning | TWC | Cochise | 5 hr |
| Jul 16, 2:18 PM MST | Flash Flood Warning | TWC | Santa Cruz | 3 hr |
| Jul 16, 2:51 PM MST | Flash Flood Warning | TWC | Santa Cruz | 3 hr |
| Jul 16, 3:05 PM MST | Flash Flood Warning | TWC | Cochise, Santa Cruz | 3 hr |
| Jul 16, 3:30 PM MST | Flash Flood Warning | TWC | Cochise | 4 hr |
| Jul 16, 3:57 PM MST | Flash Flood Warning | TWC | Santa Cruz | 3 hr |
| Jul 16, 4:02 PM MST | Flash Flood Warning | TWC | Cochise | 3 hr |
| Jul 16, 4:13 PM MST | Flash Flood Warning | TWC | Cochise | 3 hr |
| Jul 16, 4:55 PM MST | Flash Flood Warning | TWC | Pima | 3 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.