Flash Flooding and Hail in Arizona, August 13 to 14, 2008

Name: Flash Flooding and Hail in Arizona, August 13 to 14, 2008
Start: 2008-08-13T20:15
End: 2008-08-14T02:00
Location: Arizona

August 13 to 14, 2008 · NWS TWC · 7 events in 1 county or zone

Intense thunderstorms developed over the city of Tucson resulting in a microburst causing wind damage to much of the north side of the city. In addition to the extensive damage, flash flooding occurred.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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: $2.5 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 7

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.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Tucson, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 13, 2:43 PM MST, 5 hours 32 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 13, 2:43 PM MST, 5 hours 32 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
243 PM MST WED AUG 13 2008

.SYNOPSIS...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE AROUND TONIGHT INTO
FRIDAY BEFORE BECOMING ISOLATED THIS WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.
HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE NEAR OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH
EARLY NEXT WEEK.

&&

.DISCUSSION...CLOUD COVER OVER SOUTHEAST ARIZONA THIS MORNING WAS
SLOW TO DISSIPATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS HAS CUT DOWN POTENTIAL
HEATING ACROSS THE AREA. WHERE THERE HAS BEEN SUN...ESPECIALLY NEAR
AND SOUTH OF THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER...STORMS HAVE DEVELOPED AND
ARE SLOWLY PUSHING NORTH. REGIONAL SOUNDINGS THIS MORNING AND GOES
PW INDICATED THAT PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES ARE BETWEEN 1.50 AND 2
ACROSS THE AREA...WETTEST WEST OF TUCSON. SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL
CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT BETWEEN UPPER LOW OFF BAJA SPUR AND
UPPER HIGH IN WESTERN NEW MEXICO. THIS PLACES UPPER DIFFLUENCE AREA
OVER SOUTHERN ARIZONA. WITHIN IN THIS SOUTHERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL BE
PIECES OF ENERGY THAT MIGHT ENHANCE ACTIVITY TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY.
ACCORDING TO WATER VAPOR IMAGERY THIS AFTERNOON...ONE APPEARS TO BE
MOVING OVER CENTRAL BAJA. INCREASED POPS A BIT THIS EVENING AND
INCLUDED HEAVY SHOWERS WITH A FEW STORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING OVER
AN INCH OF RAIN.

ACTIVITY ON THURSDAY HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON WHAT HAPPENS THIS EVENING
AND OVERNIGHT. SO WILL KEEP SLIGHT CHANCE TO LOW CHANCE POPS ACROSS
THE AREA.

QUASI-STATIONARY LOW OVER SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN WILL MOVE THROUGH
EASTERN MONTANA THURSDAY...WYOMING FRIDAY AND BE IN COLORADO ON
SATURDAY. UPPER RIDGE WILL AMPLIFY/BUILD NORTH INTO THE PACIFIC
NORTHWEST DURING THE ABOVE TIME FRAME WITH MOISTURE VALUES ACROSS
THE AREA GRADUALLY LOWERING EACH DAY. HOWEVER STILL ENOUGH AROUND
FOR SLIGHT CHANCE OF AFTERNOON/EVENING STORMS THIS WEEKEND. BY EARLY
NEXT WEEK...THIS UPPER LOW WILL BE MOVING INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS
WITH UPPER RIDGE OVERHEAD. STILL ENOUGH MOISTURE AROUND TO KEEP
SLIGHT CHANCE WORDING EACH DAY.

TEMPERATURES WILL BE NEAR SEASONAL NORMAL WITH THE USUAL DAY 2 DAY
FLUCTUATIONS.

&&

.AVIATION...THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE THIS EVENING THEN
START TO WIND DOWN OVERNIGHT. LIGHT DIURNALLY DRIVEN WINDS OF 5-15
KTS EXPECTED...EXCEPT NEAR THUNDERSTORMS. AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT
UPDATED FOR TAF AMENDMENTS.

&&

.TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE.

WEATHER.GOV/TUCSON

The radar

The Tucson radar (KEMX), 50 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:13 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 flash flood, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pima

When: August 13, 8:15 PM MST to 8:35 PM MST
Where: Pima County, 4.12 mi NNE of Tucson to 2.47 mi NNW of Tucson
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $2.5 million
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 32.281, -110.893

Extensive wind damage occurred on the north side of Tucson due to a microburst. Damage reported included 28 power poles knocked down including a dozen at River Road and Dodge Blvd resulting in 35,000 customers without power, some for an extended period as much as two days. Damage was also reported at the Jewish Community Center near River Road and Alvernon Way. There was also roof damage to numerous businesses and hundreds of trees knocked down.

Hail, Pima

When: August 13, 8:30 PM MST
Where: Pima County, 4.72 mi E of Casas Adobes
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 32.310, -110.900

Trained spotter reported penny size hail at River and Swan.

Flash Flood, Pima

When: August 13, 8:45 PM MST to 10:00 PM MST
Where: Pima County, 1.16 mi WSW of Kino to 2.48 mi SSE of Casas Adobes
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 32.195, -110.949

Numerous reports of flash flooding occurred in Tucson including one to two feet of water flowing on 5th street and Alvernon Way, a driver pulled from a car due to rising water at Stone and Mabel streets. 1.10 inches of rain occurred in 10 minutes near Country Club and Pima Roads with streets flooded.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pima

When: August 13, 8:45 PM MST
Where: Pima County, 1.36 mi ENE of Tucson
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 32.240, -110.910

A tree was reported downed near Broadway and Tucson Blvd.

Flash Flood, Pima

When: August 13, 11:30 PM MST to August 14, 12:15 AM MST
Where: Pima County, 4.17 mi NE of Tucson to 2.59 mi WSW of Sabino
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 32.280, -110.890

There was at least two feet of water flowing at Alamo Wash at Glenn Ave from a second round of rainfall per the Pima County Flood Control District Stream gage.

Flash Flood, Pima

When: August 14, 12:30 AM MST to 1:30 AM MST
Where: Pima County, 5.26 mi WSW of Pantano to 4.63 mi NNE of Vail
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 31.966, -110.660

A trained spotter reported one inch of rainfall occurred in 30 minutes in Vail with streets flooded.

Flash Flood, Pima

When: August 14, 1:00 AM MST to 2:00 AM MST
Where: Pima County, 2.77 mi ESE of Vail Jct to 1.76 mi SSE of Vail Jct
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 32.020, -110.674

A swift water rescue occurred along Wentworth Road.

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.
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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Arizona in 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history Warnings in Arizona, August 2008

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: 114450, 114447, 114446, 114453, 114455, 114458, 114459.