Flash Flood and Hail in Arizona, August 5, 1998

Name: Flash Flood and Hail in Arizona, August 5, 1998
Start: 1998-08-05T17:45
End: 1998-08-05T19:45
Location: Arizona

August 5, 1998 · NWS TWC · 3 events in 1 county or zone

Severe thunderstorms with heavy rain dropped up to 1 inch diameter hail in the northeast foothills area of Tucson. 5 foot rise in Ventana wash in less than an hour according to an automated stream gauge.

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: 0
Property damage: None recorded
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.

Severe thunderstorms with heavy rain dropped up to 1 inch diameter hail in the northeast foothills area of Tucson. Heavy rain from this storms caused a 1.5 foot rise in Ventana wash in less than an hour according to an automated stream gauge. A weather spotter along highway 83 about 12 miles south of vail estimated wind gusts to 70 mph.

The radar

The Tucson radar (KEMX), 47 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:46 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Hail, Pima

When: August 5, 5:45 PM MST to 5:58 PM MST
Where: Pima County, Tucson
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 32.230, -110.930

Flash Flood, Pima

When: August 5, 6:30 PM MST to 7:45 PM MST
Where: Pima County, Tucson
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 32.097, -111.790 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Pima

When: August 5, 7:08 PM MST
Where: Pima County, 12 mi S of Vail
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 31.880, -110.720

What these are

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

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Arizona in 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings in Arizona, August 1998

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: 5664501, 5664500, 5664502.