Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2026
Flash Flood Warning 50, NWS Tucson, AZ
NWS Tucson, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Jul 16, 2026, 5:23 PM MST for Pima County, Arizona. It was in force for 3 hr. 1 report 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
- Jul 16, 2026, 5:23 PM MST (00:23 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 16, 2026, 8:30 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), 147 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:25 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 16, 5:35 PM MST | FLASH FLOOD | 14 Nw Sells, AZ | [Delayed report] Several washes running across HWY 86 between mile marker 99-106. |
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 one storm report to this flash flood warning; the first came 12 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
Phoenix, AZ (KPSR), launched 00:00Z, 0.4 hours before the alert went out and 161 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
- 215 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -96 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 2039 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 17 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 50 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 72 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted.
275
WGUS55 KTWC 170023
FFWTWC
AZC019-170330-
/O.NEW.KTWC.FF.W.0050.260717T0023Z-260717T0330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
523 PM MST Thu Jul 16 2026
The National Weather Service in Tucson has issued a
* Flash Flood Warning for...
Central Pima County in southeastern Arizona...
* Until 830 PM MST.
* At 523 PM MST, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing
heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 2 inches of rain
have fallen east of Pisinimo and south of Covered Wells. Additional
rainfall amounts up to 1 inch are possible in the warned area.
Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly on the San
Luis and Vamori Wash.
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...
Pisinemo, Santa Cruz, Mountain Village and Kupk.
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 3199 11204 3213 11210 3217 11226 3206 11239
3189 11236 3184 11220 3191 11207
FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED
$$
GEL2 follow-up statements
275
WGUS75 KTWC 170202
FFSTWC
Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
702 PM MST Thu Jul 16 2026
AZC019-170330-
/O.CON.KTWC.FF.W.0050.000000T0000Z-260717T0330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Pima AZ-
702 PM MST Thu Jul 16 2026
...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 830 PM MST THIS
EVENING FOR CENTRAL PIMA COUNTY...
At 702 PM MST, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy
rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 2 inches of rain have
fallen. Additional rainfall amounts up to 0.5 inches are possible in
the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin
shortly.
HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas,
highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor
drainage and low-lying areas.
Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
Pisinemo, Santa Cruz, Mountain Village and Kupk.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.
Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads.
&&
LAT...LON 3199 11204 3213 11210 3217 11226 3206 11239
3189 11236 3184 11220 3191 11207
FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED
$$
GEL233
WGUS75 KTWC 170328
FFSTWC
Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
828 PM MST Thu Jul 16 2026
AZC019-170338-
/O.EXP.KTWC.FF.W.0050.000000T0000Z-260717T0330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Pima AZ-
828 PM MST Thu Jul 16 2026
...FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 830 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR
CENTRAL 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.
A Flood Watch remains in effect until 500 AM MST Friday for a portion
of Southeast Arizona.
&&
LAT...LON 3199 11204 3213 11210 3217 11226 3206 11239
3189 11236 3184 11220 3191 11207
$$
GELWhat 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, 2 hours 50 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 16, 2:33 PM MST, 2 hours 50 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
In the hours before
Local storm report, Jul 16, 5:05 PM MST, 18 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
505 PM MST Thu Jul 16 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0445 PM Flash Flood 42 ESE Willcox 31.94N 109.22W
07/16/2026 Cochise AZ CO-OP Observer
South Turkey Creek Rd and Paradise-Portal Rd
is Flooding. South Turkey Creek is bank to
bank with 3 feet of water in it and flooding
most of Turkey Creek Rd. Forest 42B Rd and
Portal Paradise Rd has flash flooding along
the road.
&&
CLPThe office that day
Everything else NWS Tucson, AZ issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 16, 5:01 PM MST | Flash Flood Warning | TWC | Cochise | 3 hr |
| Jul 16, 5:12 PM MST | Flash Flood Warning | TWC | Santa Cruz | 3 hr |
| Jul 16, 5:33 PM MST | Flash Flood Warning | TWC | Graham | 3 hr |
| Jul 16, 5:33 PM MST | Flash Flood Warning | TWC | Pima | 3 hr |
| Jul 16, 6:26 PM MST | Flash Flood Warning | TWC | Pima | 114 min |
| Jul 16, 6:31 PM MST | Dust Storm Advisory | TWC | Pinal | 74 min |
| Jul 16, 7:41 PM MST | Flash Flood Warning | TWC | Pima | 3 hr |
| Jul 16, 8:16 PM MST | Areal Flood Advisory | TWC | Pima | 4 hr |
| Jul 17, 8:53 AM MST | Areal Flood Advisory | TWC | Pima | 112 min |
| Jul 17, 1:51 PM MST | Flash Flood Warning | TWC | Pima | 2 hr |
| Jul 17, 2:57 PM MST | Flash Flood Warning | TWC | Cochise | 3 hr |
| Jul 17, 3:04 PM MST | Flash Flood Warning | TWC | Pima | 3 hr |
| Jul 17, 3:05 PM MST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TWC | Pima | 31 min |
| Jul 17, 4:54 PM MST | Areal Flood Advisory | TWC | Pinal | 66 min |
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.