Flash Flooding and Flooding in Arizona, August 3 to 31, 1997

Flash flooding of state highway 99 south of Leupp. Two drainage ditches and a small stock pond filled rapidly with water which then flowed across highway 99, 2 miles south of Leupp. Arizona Dept. of Transportation road crews reported one to two feet of water flowing rapidly across a 100 foot stretch of the highway and eroding embankments on either side of the road.

Flash flooding was reported along Indian Reservation Route 60 just northwest of Dilkon. Strong thunderstorms with heavy rain 5 miles northeast of Dilkon, produced heavy runoff in Dilkon. Several washes and drainage ditches flooded sending up to 5 foot deep water through the Navajo Tribal Utilities Administration office and maintenance yard and flooding route 60. About 100 feet of chain link fence was destroyed and several vehicles suffered water damage. Twelve 30 foot long telephone poles that were stored in the maintenance yard were carried across the yard and into the fence.

Funnel Cloud sighted by off-duty NWS Meteorologist.

Minor flooding of dirt roads and ponding of water in Winona.

Strong thunderstorm winds downed several telephone poles in Strawberry.

Strong thunderstorm winds knocked out phone service.

Three quarter inch diameter hail reported by the public and covering the ground to 7 inches deep. Dense fog developed as the hail melted reducing visibility to less than 1/4 mile.

Strong Thunderstorm wind caused some damage in the Chino Valley area. Electrical power was knocked out when lightning hit a transformer. The power outage lasted 30 minutes. A cabana was torn off a trailer home. A section of the cabana with a swamp cooler attached was thrown 50 feet, while the rest of the cabana's roof was thrown 100 feet by the wind, and landed in an adjacent street.

Strong thunderstorm winds knocked down several telephone poles.

Steamboat Wash flooded over Indian Reservation Route 15 just west of Greasewood.

Three public reports were received of one inch diameter hail in the western sections of Flagstaff. Also in conjunction to this report a weather spotter reported minor street flooding in Flagstaff shortly after the hail.

A large tree was blown down by strong thunderstorm winds and fell down on a car in the community of Christopher Creek. Inside the car one person was seriously injured and 2 small children received minor injuries.

Heavy rain from training thunderstorms caused a flash flood along Cataract Creek in the village of Supai, capital of the Havasupai Tribe. Power, water and sewage were washed out. Many homes and structures flooded. About 400 campers and residents were evacuated by helicopter. Red cross, BIA, National Guard, the Arizona DPS, a contract helicopter firm, and local law enforcement participated in the evacuation.

A large white water raft was washed away during minor flooding along Havasu Creek and the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park. No people were in the raft and it was recovered, but damaged, several days later.

One inch diameter hail reported at the Wupatki National Monument.

Minor rural road flooding in the Snowflake area.

Eleven hikers and tourists were drowned by a flash flood in a narrow slot canyon 5 miles southeast of Page. A severe thunderstorm 3 to 5 miles upstream produced very heavy rain causing a 10-30 foot wall of water to crash down Antelope Canyon. In the area of the flood fatalities the depth and width of Antelope Canyon varies from about 20 feet across and 30 feet deep to points where it is 200 feet deep but only two (2) feet across. It is a popular site for hiking and photography where access is via rope ladders controlled by Navajo Nation representatives. The eleven who died and a tour guide were warned not to enter the canyon because of the flood potential from an approaching thunderstorm. The tour guide alone survived after being carried several miles downstream by the flood.

One and a half (1.5) inch diameter hail reported in Mayer.

Nickel size hail (0.88 in.) reported by a spotter near the community of Christopher Creek.

Several roads were flooded in Cornville. Two cars were totally submerged in a wash. The vehicle owners parked the cars in the wash when it was dry to go off-road on motorcycles.

Minor flooding at the Castle Canyon Mesa area in Prescott Valley.

0.75 inch diameter hail reported by the public.

Minor street flooding in the Flagstaff area.

Minor road flooding over state route 277 near Heber.

Several reports of flooding around the Chinle area. First reports were received northwest of Chinle near the community of Rough Rock where Reservation Route 59 was impassable due to floodwaters. The last reports were received near Chinle where Reservation Route 27 was also flooded over.

Minor flooding in the Heber area.

Minor flooding in the Show Low area.

Residental outbuildings flooded when a normally dry wash overflowed. Up to a foot of water washed over several rural roads in low lying areas in and near Camp Verde.

Minor rural flooding over state road 96 between Hillside and Bagdad. Some rock slides were also reported near the road.

Power poles were knocked over by mudslides in the Wahweap area and street flooding was reported in Page.