Arizona, 2019

Flash Flood and Flood in Arizona, August 7 to 8, 2019

August 7 to 8, 2019 · NWS VEF · 4 events in 1 county or zone

Monsoon moisture seeped into the southern Mojave Desert, fueling scattered thunderstorms. Some storms produced high winds and flash flooding.

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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$81,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

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 VEF wrote it up.

Monsoon moisture seeped into the southern Mojave Desert, fueling scattered thunderstorms. Some storms produced high winds and 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 Las Vegas, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 7, 2:30 PM MST, 1 hour 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 7, 2:30 PM MST, 1 hour 12 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Las Vegas NV
230 PM PDT Wed Aug 7 2019

.SYNOPSIS...Chances for showers and thunderstorms continue on
Thursday across parts of the area with temperatures slightly warmer
than normal. Drier air moving in from the west will flush out
monsoon moisture and bring an end to thunderstorm activity by the
weekend and dry, seasonal conditions are expected to continue into
early next week.
&&

.DISCUSSION...tonight through next Wednesday.

A 70-80 knot upper level jet streak associated with an area of low
pressure off the southern California coast could provide support for
nocturnal thunderstorms across portions of Inyo, Esmeralda and
central Nye counties overnight. PWAT values over this region
generally less than an inch and primarily in the mid levels bring an
increasing threat of strong winds to these areas. Moisture profiles
deepen as we move south through the CWA with 1-1.5 inch PWATs
common. Both gusty winds and locally heavy rain will be a concern in
this region into the evening hours but coverage is expected to
decrease overnight.

Thunderstorm coverage on Thursday will include a chance for storms
over the northwestern portions of Inyo County, parts of the southern
Great Basin, Mohave County, the Spring Mountains and Sheep Range in
Clark County. Bumped up temperatures on Thursday over what the NBM
initialized with MOS guidance suggesting a similar day to today
temperature wise. Same story for Friday with the NBM appearing
underdone with temperatures.

Models are forecasting dry conditions area wide on Friday despite
moisture not getting completely flushed out of Mohave County where
weak instability is still forecast Friday afternoon. The weekend
through the middle of next week looks dry and temperatures should be
seasonal or slightly under with troughing transitioning to zonal
flow over the west and high pressure centering over the southeast
US.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...Shower and thunderstorm development remains
possible overnight primarily over the northwestern portion of the
forecast area. Shower/storm coverage elsewhere is expected to have
better chances of producing wetting rains and coverage overall is
expected to decrease overnight. Due to the ongoing threat of dry
thunderstorms overnight in Esmeralda County and and portions of Nye
County, a Red Flag Warning remains in effect until 5 am Thursday.
Storms developing in these areas increases the potential for
lightning caused fire starts and fire spread from associated gusty
winds.
&&

.AVIATION...For McCarran...Confidence is increasing for the
potential for gusty thunderstorm outflow winds impacting the Las
Vegas Valley this afternoon between 23-03Z. Can't rule out an
isolated TSRA developing in the valley itself which would result in
more variable outflow wind impacts, but the more likely scenario is
southwest wind push arriving from the south and impacting the
terminal with little precip expected. This may require amendments
this evening and PIREP solicitation is recommended as approaches,
especially from the southwest, will be impacted. This activity
should clear out after 03Z leaving the region in south-southwest
winds aoa 10kts.

For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast
California...The region will be contending with the development of
isolated thunderstorms and gusty outflow winds, potentially over 30
kts at times. The terminals most likely to be impacted are initially
KDAG, but soon after KEED/KIFP. KBIH will also see some TSRA
development most likely this afternoon but confidence in terminal
impacts is a bit less confident. CIGs should remain VFR but
thunderstorm outflows in all cases may result in sporadic wind
impacts throughout the afternoon and early evening hours.

&&
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotters are encouraged to report
any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating
procedures.
&&

DISCUSSION/FIRE WEATHER...Salmen
AVIATION...TB3

For more forecast information...see us on our webpage:

http://weather.gov/lasvegas or follow us on Facebook and Twitter

The radar

The Las Vegas radar (KESX), 100 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:43 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Thunderstorm Wind, Mohave

When
August 7, 3:42 PM MST to 4:00 PM MST
Where
Mohave County, 6.01 mi NW of Golden Shores to 6.04 mi NNW of Golden Shores
Measured
56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
34.852, -114.540

Thunderstorm winds blew part of the roof off a home, snapped power poles, uprooted large trees, and blew a trampoline over a house.

Flash Flood, Mohave

When
August 7, 6:00 PM MST to 10:25 PM MST
Where
Mohave County, 1.43 mi NW of Golden Valley to 1.77 mi S of Golden Valley
Cause
Heavy Rain
Property damage
$25,000
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
35.234, -114.238

Several roads were closed in Golden Valley, some with water depths over two feet, and two swift water rescues occurred.

Flood, Mohave

When
August 7, 11:10 PM MST to August 8, 6:35 AM MST
Where
Mohave County, 6.68 mi W of Griffith to 6.28 mi W of Griffith
Cause
Heavy Rain
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
35.064, -114.238

The Sacramento Wash flooded Oatman Highway between mile markers 33 and 40 several hours after the heavy rain which caused flash flooding in Golden Valley.

Thunderstorm Wind, Mohave

When
August 8, 6:09 PM MST to 6:20 PM MST
Where
Mohave County, 0.99 mi SW of Golden Shores to 0.89 mi SW of Golden Shores
Measured
43 kt (49 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
34.769, -114.491

Thunderstorm winds blew down power lines in Topock.

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.
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.
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 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, August 2019

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: 839987, 839990, 839994, 839995.