Arizona, 1998

Flash Flooding and Flood in Arizona, August 6 to 31, 1998

August 6 to 31, 1998 · NWS PSR · 23 events in 5 counties and zones

14 thunderstorm wind, 5 hail, 2 flash flood, 1 high wind, 1 flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
$472,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
23

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 Phoenix radar (KIWA), 59 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:05 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

14 thunderstorm wind, 5 hail, 2 flash flood, 1 high wind, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Gila

When
August 6, 5:05 PM MST
Where
Gila County, 15 mi W of Globe
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
33.400, -111.050

Large hail reported at Top of The World, along US 60. Up to 1.10 inches of rain in just 20 minutes. Several tree limbs broken off.

High Wind, Yuma/Martinez Lake and Vicinity

When
August 6, 7:00 PM MST to 7:05 PM MST
Where
Yuma/Martinez Lake and Vicinity forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT

Near zero visibility in blowing dust and sand in Salome.

Hail, La Paz

When
August 6, 7:30 PM MST
Where
La Paz County, Vicksburg
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
33.750, -113.750

Large hail at mile post 44 near Vicksburg.

Thunderstorm Wind, Gila

When
August 7, 6:20 PM MST
Where
Gila County, 2 mi W of Globe
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
33.400, -110.820

Strong winds blew down at least one antenna.

Hail, Pinal

When
August 7, 7:30 PM MST
Where
Pinal County, Superior
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
33.280, -111.100

Large hail and very heavy rain damaged part of a roof of a home.

Thunderstorm Wind, Maricopa

When
August 11, 7:12 PM MST
Where
Maricopa County, 4 mi NE of Buckeye
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
33.400, -112.530

Also, a report of .62 inch rain with the storm in 21 minutes.

Thunderstorm Wind, Maricopa

When
August 11, 7:30 PM MST
Where
Maricopa County, Buckeye
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage
$150,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
33.370, -112.580

Winds took down 6 power poles, and forced the closure of I-10 for 1 1/2 hours. A squad car from the Buckeye Police Department received minor damage when crushed by a falling power pole. Two private planes from Pierce Aviation were destroyed and several other planes were damaged by high winds. The roof of the administration building was damaged by the storm.

Thunderstorm Wind, Maricopa

When
August 12, 6:12 PM MST
Where
Maricopa County, Wickenburg
Measured
65 kt (75 mph)
Property damage
$300,000
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
33.970, -112.730

A strong to severe complex of storms formed northeast of Wickenburg and moved to the southwest and intensified. The storms produced severe damage to at least 2 aircraft at the Wickenburg airport. About 6 power poles were blown down, and evaporative coolers were blown off roofs. Large tree limbs were broken off in Wickenburg. Sheriff's deputies rescued a boater and eight passengers on Lake Pleasant.

Thunderstorm Wind, Maricopa

When
August 12, 6:30 PM MST to 6:33 PM MST
Where
Maricopa County, Tempe
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
33.400, -111.930

Large tree limbs downed by winds near Broadway and Rural. Numerous streets in Tempe flooded.

Flash Flood, Maricopa

When
August 12, 6:30 PM MST to 7:30 PM MST
Where
Maricopa County, Wickenburg
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Very heavy rain, with considerable flash flooding around the town of Wickenburg. One spotter reported 2.5 inches fell in just 20 minutes. Wickenburg Police Department reported streets in town were "severely flooded."

Thunderstorm Wind, Maricopa

When
August 13, 5:45 PM MST to 5:55 PM MST
Where
Maricopa County, Wickenburg
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
33.970, -112.730

Winds uprooted trees and took down power poles in Wickenburg.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pinal

When
August 13, 9:51 PM MST
Where
Pinal County, Maricopa
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
32.070, -112.050

Near zero visibility with dense blowing dust.

Hail, Gila

When
August 15, 5:30 PM MST
Where
Gila County, 1 mi WNW of Roosevelt
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
33.670, -111.150

Thunderstorm Wind, Pinal

When
August 15, 7:15 PM MST to 7:30 PM MST
Where
Pinal County, Coolidge
Measured
55 kt (63 mph)
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
32.970, -111.520

Several palo verde trees blown down. Some homes and businesses in Coolidge received minor damage due to the winds. One resident reported a stored row boat that blew about a quarter mile. Washes near Casa Grande, southwest of Coolidge, were reported running about 4 feet deep.

Flood, Maricopa

When
August 15, 8:00 PM MST
Where
Maricopa County, Gilbert
Reported by
NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One-half inch in 20 minutes; 1.10 inch in 45 minutes.

Thunderstorm Wind, Maricopa

When
August 15, 8:15 PM MST to 8:30 PM MST
Where
Maricopa County, Mesa
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
UTILITY COMPANY
Coordinates
33.420, -111.820

About 12,000 residents were left without power as winds and lightning struck the area.

Thunderstorm Wind, La Paz

When
August 16, 5:20 PM MST
Where
La Paz County, Bouse
Measured
65 kt (75 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
33.930, -114.000

Power poles down, telephone service knocked out, widespread structural damage, and washes running.

Hail, Gila

When
August 17, 4:18 PM MST
Where
Gila County, Roosevelt
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
33.670, -111.130

Thunderstorm Wind, Maricopa

When
August 17, 6:38 PM MST to 7:10 PM MST
Where
Maricopa County, Phoenix to Tempe
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates
33.480, -112.070

Several power poles knocked down due to microburst winds near 71st Ave and Van Buren. In Tempe, an off-duty employee reported a 6-inch tree limb blown down.

Flash Flood, Gila

When
August 24, 5:30 PM MST to 6:30 PM MST
Where
Gila County, Globe
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
33.800, -110.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy rain resulted in street flooding, road blocked to Icehouse Canyon. Up to 1.5 inches reported in less than an hour.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pinal

When
August 28, 5:25 PM MST
Where
Pinal County, Coolidge
Measured
55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
32.970, -111.520

Winds took down 7 power poles, numerous tree limbs snapped off.

Thunderstorm Wind, Maricopa

When
August 28, 6:09 PM MST to 6:26 PM MST
Where
Maricopa County, Scottsdale
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
33.480, -111.900

Large area in the East Valley hit with high winds; 7 large trees knocked down in East Mesa and several power poles downed in Gilbert. Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport(PHX) recorded a peak gust of 53 mph at 1811 MST.

Thunderstorm Wind, La Paz

When
August 31, 8:58 PM MST
Where
La Paz County, Ehrenburg
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
33.600, -114.530

Strong winds affected much of La Paz County with power outages and dense blowing dust.

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
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.
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.
Flood
Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Arizona in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 5669789, 5669790, 5669791, 5668254, 5669792, 5669793, 5669794, 5669795, 5669796, 5669797, 5669799, 5669798, 5669800, 5668245, 5668246, 5668255, 5668247, 5668248, 5668253, 5668249, 5668250, 5668251, 5668252.