Arizona, 2014

Flood in Arizona, October 9, 2014

October 9, 2014 · NWS PSR · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed during the morning hours across south central Arizona on October 9th, and due to an influx of tropical moisture from former tropical storm Simon, the storms were able to produce very heavy rainfall. Peak rain rates with the stronger thunderstorms approached 2 inches per hour, and the heavy rain led to significant flooding of roads and washes across…

Where it happened

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  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$25,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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 PSR wrote it up.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed during the morning hours across south central Arizona on October 9th, and due to an influx of tropical moisture from former tropical storm Simon, the storms were able to produce very heavy rainfall. Peak rain rates with the stronger thunderstorms approached 2 inches per hour, and the heavy rain led to significant flooding of roads and washes across the far eastern portion of the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, including communities such as Apache Junction and east Mesa. Flooding was reported along the Superstition Freeway in Apache Junction and this led to the issuance of an Areal Flood Warning which ran from 851MST through 1145MST.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

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Event by event

1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Pinal

When
October 9, 8:00 AM MST to 11:45 AM MST
Where
Pinal County, 8.93 mi SW of Palm Spgs to 6.74 mi W of Apache Jct
Cause
Heavy Rain
Property damage
$25,000
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
33.326, -111.657

Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed across the far eastern portion of the greater Phoenix metropolitan area during the early morning hours on October 9th, and they persisted into the middle of the morning. Due to an influx of tropical moisture from former tropical storm Simon, the storms produced very heavy rain with peak rain rates approaching 2 inches per hour. The heavy rain led to significant urban and small stream flooding across portions of east Mesa and Apache Junction, especially along the Superstition Freeway. According to a trained spotter located 1 mile southeast of Apache Junction, at 0816MST there was water 5 inches deep flooding the intersection of the Superstition Freeway US 60 and Tomahawk road in Apache Junction. Flooding was also reported along a wash extending from the intersection of Ironwood Drive and 16th Avenue to the Superstition Freeway near Meridian Avenue. As a result of the flooding, an Areal Flood Warning was issued at 0850MST and it continued through 1145MST.

What these are

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 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, October 2014

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 541283.