Flash Flood and Damaging Wind in Arizona, September 13, 1997

Name: Flash Flood and Damaging Wind in Arizona, September 13, 1997
Start: 1997-09-13T17:45
End: 1997-09-13T19:30
Location: Arizona

September 13, 1997 · NWS TWC · 3 events in 1 county or zone

Thunderstorm winds blew down several power lines and trees in the east part of Tucson. A 6 foot brick wall was damaged by a falling tree.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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: 1
Property damage: $10,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS TWC wrote it up.

Thunderstorm winds blew down several power lines and trees in the east part of Tucson. A 6 foot brick wall was damaged by a falling tree. The winds blew the roof off of one home. A woman was injured when she was struck by lightning. Heavy rains from these thunderstorms caused flooding of several streets in east Tucson with several vehicles trapped in the waters.

The radar

The Tucson radar (KEMX), 47 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:45 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Thunderstorm Wind, Pima

When: September 13, 5:45 PM MST to 6:45 PM MST
Where: Pima County, Tucson
Property damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 32.230, -110.930

Lightning, Pima

When: September 13, 6:15 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)

Flash Flood, Pima

When: September 13, 6:30 PM MST to 7:30 PM MST
Where: Pima County, Tucson
Coordinates: 32.097, -111.790 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

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.
Lightning: A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Arizona in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings in Arizona, September 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: 5617396, 5617397, 5617398.