Arizona, 2015

Flash Flood in Arizona, July 5, 2015

July 5, 2015 · NWS PSR · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Thunderstorms developed across the central Arizona deserts during the early afternoon hours on July 5th, and some of them produced locally heavy rainfall with rainfall rates well in excess of one inch per hour. The heavy rainfall was sufficient to cause local flash flooding which affected the community of Casa Grande.

Where it happened

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  • Heat and drought
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
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.

Thunderstorms developed across the central Arizona deserts during the early afternoon hours on July 5th, and some of them produced locally heavy rainfall with rainfall rates well in excess of one inch per hour. The heavy rainfall was sufficient to cause local flash flooding which affected the community of Casa Grande. The flash flooding was significant enough to result in a water rescue several miles northeast of Casa Grande. Fortunately, the flash flooding did not result in any injuries. A Flash Flood Warning was not issued for this event, however a Flood Advisory was issued for southwest Pinal county and was in effect during the flash flooding.

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 Phoenix, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 5, 10:05 AM MST, 4 hours 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 5, 10:05 AM MST, 4 hours 10 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 5, 1:27 PM MST, 48 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
127 PM MST SUN JUL 5 2015

AZZ023-028-052100-
GREATER PHOENIX AREA AZ-NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL PINAL COUNTY AZ-
127 PM MST SUN JUL 5 2015

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PHOENIX HAS ISSUED A

SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR...
  CENTRAL PINAL AND CENTRAL MARICOPA COUNTIES

UNTIL 200 PM MST

AT 126 PM MST...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER
SAN TAN MOUNTAIN PARK...OR 12 MILES NORTHWEST OF COOLIDGE...MOVING
EAST AT 15 MPH.

WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH AND BLOWING DUST WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS
STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
MESA...CHANDLER...GILBERT...QUEEN CREEK...BLACKWATER...SAN TAN
VALLEY...MAGMA...CHANDLER HEIGHTS...SEVILLE...SAN TAN MOUNTAIN PARK
AND SACATON.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

LOCALLY DENSE BLOWING DUST IS POSSIBLE.  IF YOU ENCOUNTER BLOWING
DUST WHILE DRIVING...PULL OVER AS FAR OFF THE ROADWAY AS POSSIBLE AND
PARK. TURN OFF YOUR HEADLIGHTS AND KEEP YOUR FOOT OFF THE BRAKE.

&&

LAT...LON 3301 11170 3321 11178 3335 11157 3305 11143
TIME...MOT...LOC 2026Z 258DEG 12KT 3314 11161

18
Special weather statement, Jul 5, 1:53 PM MST, 22 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
153 PM MST SUN JUL 5 2015

AZZ028-052145-
NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL PINAL COUNTY AZ-
153 PM MST SUN JUL 5 2015

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PHOENIX HAS ISSUED A

SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN PINAL COUNTY

UNTIL 245 PM MST

AT 152 PM MST...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR
ARIZONA CITY...OR 8 MILES SOUTH OF CASA GRANDE...MOVING WEST AT 10
MPH.

WINDS UP TO 40 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS
STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
CASA GRANDE...ARIZONA CITY AND ARIZOLA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY LEAD
TO FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED
ROADWAYS.

&&

LAT...LON 3276 11174 3276 11177 3280 11178 3279 11187
      3285 11188 3286 11164 3276 11161 3273 11167
      3273 11174
TIME...MOT...LOC 2052Z 081DEG 10KT 3277 11175

18

The radar

The Phoenix radar (KIWA), 39 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:12 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Pinal

When
July 5, 2:15 PM MST to 4:15 PM MST
Where
Pinal County, 5.97 mi WSW of Borrees Corner to 5.67 mi E of Casa Grande Arpt
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
32.941, -111.667

Thunderstorms developed across the central deserts during the early afternoon hours on July 5th, and they affected the community of Casa Grande. Peak rainfall rates were well in excess of one inch per hour and were sufficient to cause both areal flooding and flash flooding. According to local law enforcement, at 1530MST flash flooding at the intersection of McCartney Road and Weaver road resulted in a water rescue. The rescue was approximately 5 miles northeast of Casa Grande. At the time of the water rescue, the flood waters were receding. No injuries were reported due to the flash flooding.

What these are

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

More

Every storm in Arizona in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, July 2015

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 583167.