An area of high pressure centered over the Desert Southwest led to dangerous heat across the region. A total of 15 fatalities (9 direct and 6 indirect) were reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health.
Every event with a place to put it; 11 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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 episode as NWS PSR wrote it up.
An area of high pressure centered over the Desert Southwest led to dangerous heat across the region. A total of 15 fatalities (9 direct and 6 indirect) were reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health.
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 27, 9:35 PM MST, 2 hours 25 minutes earlier.
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</html>Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Phoenix AZ
722 PM MST FRI JUL 27 2018
AZZ537-541-542-545-547-280300-
New River Mesa AZ-Cave Creek/New River AZ-Northwest Valley AZ-
Deer Valley AZ-Rio Verde/Salt River AZ-
722 PM MST FRI JUL 27 2018
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR MARICOPA COUNTY UNTIL 800 PM
MST...
At 722 PM MST, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
New River, moving south at 25 mph.
Winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Scottsdale, New River, Cave Creek, Carefree, Lake Pleasant, Desert
Mountain, Camp Creek, Horseshoe Reservoir, Anthem and Seven Springs.
This includes the following highways...
AZ Interstate 17 between mile markers 222 and 241.
AZ Route 74 between mile markers 16 and 30.
AZ Route 303 between mile markers 130 and 139.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may lead
to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
If on or near Lake Pleasant, get out of the water and move indoors
or inside a vehicle. Remember, lightning can strike out to 10 miles
from the parent thunderstorm. If you can hear thunder, you are close
enough to be struck by lightning. Move to safe shelter now! Do not
be caught on the water in a thunderstorm.
&&
LAT...LON 3400 11175 3400 11165 3375 11165 3376 11236
3391 11237 3389 11228 3391 11224 3395 11224
3397 11219 3405 11215
TIME...MOT...LOC 0222Z 356DEG 23KT 3395 11214
HirschThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
11 heat. Local standard time, as filed.
Two direct fatalities were reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender and circumstances unavailable.
Three direct fatalities were reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender and circumstances unavailable.
One indirect fatality was reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender and circumstances unavailable.
One indirect fatality was reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender and circumstances unavailable.
Two indirect fatalities were reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender and circumstances unavailable.
One indirect fatality was reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender and circumstances unavailable.
One direct fatality was reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender and circumstances unavailable.
One direct fatality was reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender and circumstances unavailable.
One direct fatality was reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender and circumstances unavailable.
One indirect fatality was reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender and circumstances unavailable.
One direct fatality was reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender and circumstances unavailable.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat, Central Phoenix | 2018-07-28 | Unknown | Direct | ||
| Heat, Central Phoenix | 2018-07-28 | Unknown | Direct | ||
| Heat, East Valley | 2018-07-28 | Unknown | Direct | ||
| Heat, East Valley | 2018-07-28 | Unknown | Direct | ||
| Heat, East Valley | 2018-07-28 | Unknown | Direct | ||
| Heat, North Phoenix/Glendale | 2018-07-28 | Unknown | Indirect | ||
| Heat, East Valley | 2018-07-29 | Unknown | Indirect | ||
| Heat, Central Phoenix | 2018-07-29 | Unknown | Indirect | ||
| Heat, Central Phoenix | 2018-07-29 | Unknown | Indirect | ||
| Heat, Central Phoenix | 2018-07-30 | Unknown | Indirect | ||
| Heat, East Valley | 2018-07-30 | Unknown | Direct | ||
| Heat, Buckeye/Avondale | 2018-07-30 | Unknown | Direct | ||
| Heat, Scottsdale/Paradise Valley | 2018-07-30 | Unknown | Direct | ||
| Heat, East Valley | 2018-07-31 | Unknown | Indirect | ||
| Heat, Northwest Valley | 2018-07-31 | Unknown | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, July 2018
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: 864924, 864925, 864928, 864933, 865099, 864931, 864935, 864936, 865319, 864937, 864939.