Arizona, 2017Flash Flood in Arizona, July 24, 2017
July 24, 2017 · NWS PSR · 1 event in 1 county or zone
Scattered monsoon thunderstorms developed across portions of La Paz County during the early afternoon hours on July 24th, and some of them produced intense rainfall with peak rain rates in excess of one inch per hour. The locally heavy rain led to an episode of flash flooding across the east-central portion of the county; emergency managers reported that flash flooding resulted in the closure of…
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
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- Property damage
- $5,000
- 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.
Scattered monsoon thunderstorms developed across portions of La Paz County during the early afternoon hours on July 24th, and some of them produced intense rainfall with peak rain rates in excess of one inch per hour. The locally heavy rain led to an episode of flash flooding across the east-central portion of the county; emergency managers reported that flash flooding resulted in the closure of Salome Road between the town of Salome and Interstate 10. The road closure occurred roughly around 1300MST. A Flash Flood Warning was issued due to the heavy rain and flooding and remained in effect through 1815MST in the late afternoon.
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 24, 9:51 AM MST, 2 hours 39 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 24, 9:51 AM MST, 2 hours 39 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Phoenix AZ
951 AM MST Mon Jul 24 2017
.SYNOPSIS...
Thunderstorm activity can be expected across the region today,
especially over northern and southwestern Arizona. Cloud cover
and a moist atmosphere will lead to cooler temperatures today.
This will be followed by drier southwesterly flow aloft leading to
warmer temperatures along with fewer storms across the region
Tuesday through Thursday. More active monsoon conditions return by
next weekend.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
A very moist air mass is in place with near all-time record PW
value observed in the 12Z Phoenix sounding (2.23 inches).
Widespread showers and thunderstorms have been very efficient
rainfall producers, with rainfall rates of 1-2 inches per hour
common. Short-term radar trends suggest the greatest rainfall
threat will continue across south-central Arizona through early
afternoon. Satellite trends and high-resolution model guidance
show the back edge of convection coinciding with drier air across
southern Arizona, and this should overspread the area mid-late
afternoon, supporting a general decrease in precipitation trends.
However, until then, the threat for localized to potentially flash
flooding will remain a concern. Temperatures will also be well
below normal today across south-central Arizona due to the cloud
cover and precipitation, struggling to reach the lower 90s across
the lower deserts.
&&
.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
After all of last night's convection,
there are multiple MCVs floating around Arizona. One prominent one
is departing northern Maricopa County early this morning and
moving into northern Arizona. Scattered light showers are the
result. Speaking of the earlier convection, a lot of the 00Z hi-
res models did a rather poor job of depicting it for our area -
despite only being a 1-4 hour forecast. There are a variety of
different solutions amongst those models for our forecast area.
Some of them, especially the ones that were so underdone with last
evening's activity, depict convection redeveloping over south-
central Arizona. However, multiple runs of the HRRR have the focus
further west - specifically over La Paz County. The 06Z NAM Nest
does as well. They appear to be generating convection on the
western periphery of the aforementioned MCV. Have leaned toward
this scenario but still a lot of question about how much
destabilization there will be given all of the cloudiness. With so
much moisture in place, anticipate there will be some sort of
showers (if not full fledged thunderstorms) there. The influence
of the mid level inverted trough should also help to get at least
isolated coverage over other lower elevation locations with better
chances higher terrain. On the back side of the inverted trough,
drier air starts moving in later today. Anticipate that things
will be fairly quiet by early evening if not sooner.
Tuesday through Thursday Sunday...
With a lot less moisture available, look for quiet a downtrend in
PoPs (limited to south-central AZ - mainly higher terrain). Temps
climb as well but not out of hand. Late in the week and over the
weekend, a more favorable flow pattern sets up. Plus it appears
there will be a tropical storm of some sort passing south and west
of Baja which helps advect moisture back into the region. Thus a
gradual return of PoPs from east to west. Temps nudge down as
well.
&&
.AVIATION...
South-Central Arizona including KPHX, KIWA, and KSDL:
Showers and isolated thunderstorms will be off and on from now
through about 22Z this afternoon. Storms aren't expected to be
strong, but they will be capable of producing some good rainfall.
Activity will be on a downward trend after 22Z, with mostly dry
conditions expected for the remainder of the TAF period. Winds
will primarily be out of the east, with some variableness expected
near showers/storms. Low level cloud decks will be around 5 to 8
kft, with gradual clearing and lifting after 00Z.
Southeast California/Southwest Arizona including KIPL and KBLH:
Showers and isolated thunderstorms will be off and on between 13Z
this morning and 22Z this afternoon. Storms aren't expected to be
strong, but they will be capable of producing some good rainfall.
Activity will be on a downward trend after 22Z, with mostly dry
conditions expected for the remainder of the TAF period. Winds
will primarily be out of the southeast at KIPL and out of the
south at KBLH, with some variableness expected near
showers/storms. Low level cloud decks will be around 5 to 8 kft,
with gradual clearing and lifting after 00Z.
Aviation discussion not updated for amended TAFs.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
Wednesday through Sunday:
Storm chances will be minimal on Wednesday with only slight
chances limited to the higher terrain of south-central Arizona.
Humidities and storm chances begin to increase Thursday with
chances reaching southeast California by Saturday. Temperatures
will be near normal Wednesday and Thursday (a bit above normal
near and west of the Lower Colorado River Valley) before beginning
to decrease late this week. Apart from thunderstorms, winds will
follow familiar warm season patterns.
&&
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
Spotters should follow standard reporting procedures.
&&
.PSR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AZ...None.
CA...None.
&&
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DISCUSSION...Rogers
PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...AJ
AVIATION...Hernandez
FIRE WEATHER...AJ
In the hours before
Local storm report, Jul 24, 9:15 AM MST, 3 hours 15 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
915 AM MST MON JUL 24 2017
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0900 AM FLASH FLOOD 3 ESE SACATON 33.07N 111.70W
07/24/2017 PINAL AZ PUBLIC
TRUCK PARTIALLY SUBMERGED, PALM TREES
WASHING AWAY. AT SACATON & 87.
&&Local storm report, Jul 24, 9:18 AM MST, 3 hours 12 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
918 AM MST MON JUL 24 2017
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0917 AM FLASH FLOOD 1 SW APACHE JUNCTION 33.40N 111.57W
07/24/2017 PINAL AZ BROADCAST MEDIA
LIVE RESCUE ON BROADCAST MEDIA UNDERWAY,
16TH AVE AT SAGUARO.
&&
KWLocal storm report, Jul 24, 9:26 AM MST, 3 hours 4 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
926 AM MST MON JUL 24 2017
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0745 PM TSTM WND DMG 3 NE SKY HARBOR AIRPORT 33.47N 111.97W
07/23/2017 MARICOPA AZ AMATEUR RADIO
TOWER BLOWN OVER ONTO HOUSE. DELAYED REPORT.
&&
KWLocal storm report, Jul 24, 9:40 AM MST, 2 hours 50 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
940 AM MST MON JUL 24 2017
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0938 AM HEAVY RAIN 5 W AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS 33.31N 112.14W
07/24/2017 M2.09 INCH MARICOPA AZ MESONET
MARICOPA COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL GAUGE
INDICATING 2.09 INCH RAINFALL IN ONE HOUR.
&&
KWFlash Flood, La Paz
- When
- July 24, 12:30 PM MST to 6:15 PM MST
- Where
- La Paz County, 10.79 mi E of Wenden to 23.81 mi S of Wenden
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 33.830, -113.362
Strong thunderstorms with locally heavy rain developed across portions of La Paz County during the early afternoon hours on July 24th; peak rain rates were in excess of one inch per hour and were sufficient to cause some flash flooding over the east-central portion of the county. According to La Paz County emergency managment, as of 1309MST flash flooding resulted in the closure of Salome Road between the town of Salome and Interstate 10. Salome Road was underwater and impassible. This was about 9 miles northwest of the town of Centennial. A Flash Flood Warning was issued for the area at 1222MST and it remained in effect for the rest of the afternoon.
- 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.
- Flash Flooding and Lightning Strike in Utah, July 24 to 29, 20172 injured · $8.8 million · 12 events
- Heat in Missouri, July 24, 20171 death · 1 injured · 1 event
- Rip Current in Florida, July 24, 20171 death · 1 event
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in California, July 24 to 25, 20171 injured · $8.0 million · 55 kt wind · 8 events
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Mississippi, July 24 to 25, 2017$2.0 million · 24 events
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Texas, July 24, 2017$1.2 million · 52 kt wind · 6 events
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Nevada, July 24 to 26, 2017$191,000 · 0.75 in hail · 7 events
- Flash Flooding in New York, July 24, 2017$105,000 · 2 events
- Flash Flood in Mississippi, July 24, 2017$100,000 · 1 event
- Damaging Winds in New York, July 24, 2017$70,000 · 65 kt wind · 5 events
- Lightning Strikes in New York, July 24, 2017$80,000 · 2 events
- Damaging Winds in Pennsylvania, July 24, 2017$52,000 · 60 kt wind · 7 events
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: 709836.