Arizona, 1997

Flash Flood and Hail in Arizona, July 17 to 29, 1997

July 17 to 29, 1997 · NWS TWC · 5 events in 3 counties and zones

3 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood, 1 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
3
Property damage
$28,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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.

The radar

The Tucson radar (KEMX), 46 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:29 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Santa Cruz

When
July 17, 3:00 PM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where
Santa Cruz County, Nogales
Injuries
3 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates
31.526, -110.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Nogales wash overflowed its banks. Several vehicles had to be pulled out of the wash. Several minor injuries were reported

Thunderstorm Wind, Pima

When
July 28, 3:30 PM MST
Where
Pima County, Marana
Measured
55 kt (63 mph)
Property damage
$7,000
Coordinates
32.450, -111.220

Thunderstorm winds blew the roof off of a market, damaged the roof of the First Baptist Church, and uprooted or snapped the limbs off of 5-8 trees.

Hail, Pima

When
July 28, 3:30 PM MST
Where
Pima County, Marana
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
32.450, -111.220

Thunderstorm Wind, Graham

When
July 28, 4:00 PM MST
Where
Graham County, Safford
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$20,000
Coordinates
32.820, -109.720

Thunderstorm winds blew down several power poles in Safford and the nearby towns of Thatcher and Pima.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pima

When
July 29, 5:25 PM MST
Where
Pima County, Tucson
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$1,000
Coordinates
32.230, -110.930

Thunderstorm winds blew a wall down and bent some metal piping.

What these are

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.
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.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Arizona in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, July 1997

Sources

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: 5608831, 5608832, 5608835, 5608833, 5608834.