Arizona, 1997Flash Flooding and Flood in Arizona, August 1 to 17, 1997
August 1 to 17, 1997 · NWS TWC · 21 events in 6 counties and zones
10 flash flood, 6 thunderstorm wind, 2 lightning, 1 dust storm, 1 flood, 1 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 13 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
Open the live radar over this ground
- Deaths
- 6
- Injuries
- 1
- Property damage
- $39,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 21
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
Event by event
10 flash flood, 6 thunderstorm wind, 2 lightning, 1 dust storm, 1 flood, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Flash Flood, Pima
- When
- August 1, 6:10 PM MST to 6:30 PM MST
- Where
- Pima County, Tucson
- Coordinates
- 32.097, -111.790 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy rain from thunderstorms sent a one foot wall of water down a dry wash at Harrison Road and Pantano in far eastern Tucson preventing traffic from crossing.
Dust Storm, Southeast Pinal
- When
- August 2, 4:00 PM MST to 4:30 PM MST
- Where
- Southeast Pinal forecast zone
Thunderstorm winds caused a dust storm near Picacho reducing visibility to near zero at times.
Flash Flood, Cochise
- When
- August 6, 12:30 AM MST to 1:30 AM MST
- Where
- Cochise County, Douglas
- Deaths
- 6 direct, 0 indirect
- Coordinates
- 31.880, -109.751 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Six illegal aliens attempting to cross into the United States from Mexico were drowned when they tried to cross a flooded drainage ditch.
Flood, Cochise
- When
- August 6, 2:00 AM MST to 3:30 AM MST
- Where
- Cochise County, Elfrida
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Coordinates
- 31.880, -109.751 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Thunderstorms dumped 2-3 inches of rain which caused five homes to be flooded. Damage was mainly to carpet and furniture.
Lightning, Pima
- When
- August 7, 8:40 PM MST
- Where
- Pima County, 6 mi NW of Tucson Intl Arpt
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Coordinates
- 32.097, -111.790 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lightning started a fire at a condominium complex.
Flash Flood, Santa Cruz
- When
- August 8, 2:30 PM MST to 3:00 PM MST
- Where
- Santa Cruz County, Sonoita
- Coordinates
- 31.526, -110.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Several road closures due to flooding.
Hail, Greenlee
- When
- August 8, 2:55 PM MST to 3:00 PM MST
- Where
- Greenlee County, Clifton
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 33.050, -109.300
Thunderstorm Wind, Pima
- When
- August 8, 4:45 PM MST
- Where
- Pima County, Tuscon Ryan Fld Arpt
- Measured
- 51 kt (59 mph)
- Coordinates
- 32.130, -111.170
Thunderstorm Wind, Pima
- When
- August 8, 5:00 PM MST
- Where
- Pima County, Tucson
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Property damage
- $1,000
- Coordinates
- 32.230, -110.930
Thunderstorm winds blew down several power lines.
Flash Flood, Pinal
- When
- August 8, 5:15 PM MST to 6:15 PM MST
- Where
- Pinal County, Southeast Portion
- Coordinates
- 32.904, -111.345 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Roads were closed due to flooding near san Manuel and Mammoth.
Thunderstorm Wind, Pima
- When
- August 8, 6:00 PM MST to 6:30 PM MST
- Where
- Pima County, Ajo
- Property damage
- $3,000
- Coordinates
- 32.370, -112.870
Thunderstorm winds caused roof damage to two buildings and several signs were blown over.
Flash Flood, Pima
- When
- August 8, 6:45 PM MST to 8:30 PM MST
- Where
- Pima County, East Portion
- Coordinates
- 32.097, -111.790 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Several roads and wash crossings closed due to flooding. Two and one half feet of water flowing in Brawley wash at Three Points.
Thunderstorm Wind, Pima
- When
- August 9, 6:20 PM MST
- Where
- Pima County, Tuscon Ryan Fld Arpt
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph)
- Coordinates
- 32.130, -111.170
Flash Flood, Santa Cruz
- When
- August 12, 1:00 PM MST
- Where
- Santa Cruz County, Nogales
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Coordinates
- 31.526, -110.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The Mia Casa mobile home park in the west portion of Nogales was flooded with water 3-4 feet deep. Damage to a few cars and several homes.
Flash Flood, Pima
- When
- August 12, 8:00 PM MST to 8:30 PM MST
- Where
- Pima County, Tucson
- Coordinates
- 32.097, -111.790 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Firefighters pulled three people from their cars when they became stranded in swift 2-foot-deep water in Pantano Wash at South Harrison Road.
Lightning, Pima
- When
- August 13, 4:00 PM MST
- Where
- Pima County, Tucson
- Injuries
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Coordinates
- 32.097, -111.790 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A 72 year old man suffered burns on his right leg and pelvis when lightning struck nearby.
Flash Flood, Pinal
- When
- August 13, 4:15 PM MST to 4:45 PM MST
- Where
- Pinal County, 7 mi SW of Dudleyville
- Coordinates
- 32.904, -111.345 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Dirt roads in the area were impassable due to flooding.
Thunderstorm Wind, Pima
- When
- August 13, 6:23 PM MST to 6:30 PM MST
- Where
- Pima County, Tuscon Ryan Fld Arpt to Tucson
- Measured
- 78 kt (90 mph)
- Property damage
- $7,000
- Coordinates
- 32.130, -111.170
Thunderstorm winds gusting to 78 kts snapped a power pole knocking out power to 1700 customers and toppled a tree onto a house.
Flash Flood, Pima
- When
- August 13, 7:00 PM MST to 8:00 PM MST
- Where
- Pima County, Tucson
- Coordinates
- 32.097, -111.790 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
In west Tucson one car was caught in flooded wash with water above the windows. Also several underpasses were flooded with 1-2 feet of water.
Thunderstorm Wind, Cochise
- When
- August 17, 2:25 PM MST
- Where
- Cochise County, Benson
- Property damage
- $3,000
- Coordinates
- 31.970, -110.300
Thunderstorm winds blew down several power lines.
Flash Flood, Cochise
- When
- August 17, 2:33 PM MST to 2:50 PM MST
- Where
- Cochise County, Benson
- Coordinates
- 31.880, -109.751 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Benson police reported flooding in downtown Benson and numerous traffic accidents on Interstate 10 due to zero visibility in heavy rain.
- Flash Flood
- Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
- Dust Storm
- Blowing dust that reduced visibility to a quarter mile or less.
- Flood
- Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
- Lightning
- A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Wildfire and Heat in California, August 1 to 7, 19975 deaths · $1.8 million · 10 events
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Kansas, August 1 to 23, 1997$2.4 million · F0 · 81 events
- Lightning Strike in Florida, August 1, 19971 death · 1 event
- Hurricane and Flooding in Guam, August 1 to 30, 19972 injured · $1.1 million · 15 events
- Drought in Pennsylvania, August 1 to 31, 1997$1.4 million · 7 events
- Drought in New York, August 1 to 31, 1997$200,000 · 1 event
- Flash Flood in New Mexico, August 1, 1997$150,000 · 1 event
- Lightning Strike in Florida, August 1, 19971 injured · 1 event
- High Surf in Hawaii, August 1 to 2, 19976 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Oregon, August 1 to 24, 19971.25 in hail · 6 events
- Hail in Colorado, August 1, 19972 in hail · 5 events
- Flash Flood and Hail in Oregon, August 1, 19971.38 in hail · 5 events
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5613864, 5613865, 5613867, 5613866, 5613868, 5613876, 5613870, 5613869, 5613871, 5613873, 5613872, 5613874, 5613875, 5613877, 5613956, 5613880, 5613881, 5613879, 5613878, 5613954, 5613955.