Flash Flooding and Damaging Wind in Arizona, July 14, 2021

Name: Flash Flooding and Damaging Wind in Arizona, July 14, 2021
Start: 2021-07-14T06:30
End: 2021-07-14T11:00
Location: Arizona

July 14, 2021 · NWS TWC · 6 events in 2 counties and zones

Scattered thunderstorms developed and moved southwest across eastern Pinal and Pima counties during the early morning hours. Flash flooding occurred in northern and western parts of the Tucson Metro area.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

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Wind
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Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $30,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 6

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 TWC wrote it up.

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 Tucson, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 14, 5:24 AM MST, 1 hour 6 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 14, 5:24 AM MST, 1 hour 6 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
524 AM MST Wed Jul 14 2021

.UPDATE...Ran a quick update to short term forecast as showers
and isolated thunderstorms continue to develop over our area and
developed really quick up across the Phoenix metro area. The
Phoenix convection is associated with outflow pushing into from
the NW that may get down in our area later this morning. We've
seen some rainfall totals up to 1.50" in/around the Oracle area
where a flash flood warning is in effect.

&&

.SYNOPSIS...An active period of daily scattered showers and
thunderstorms during the next 7 days. High temperatures will be
below normal through the remainder of the week into the weekend.

&&

.DISCUSSION...Today will be an atypical monsoon day as a weak
short wave moves across the northern half of the state. Scattered
thunderstorms were occurring across northern AZ this morning with
a few elevated thunderstorms occurring east of San Carlos across
northern Graham county. Additional elevated thunderstorms will be
developing this morning with scattered storms around into the
afternoon and evening hours. Storms will be slow movers, mainly
to the E/SE, and with anonymously high PW values across the area,
flash flooding with be a threat. Flash flood watch continues
across most of the area into this evening.

Upper levels get pretty mucked up Thursday and Friday before a
deeper easterly flow sets up over the weekend into early next
week. Thus daily rounds of afternoon and evening showers and
thunderstorms.

With an active pattern in place over the next 7 days, high
temperatures will be below normal.

&&

.AVIATION...Valid through 15/12Z.
FEW-SCT clouds at 10k-14k ft MSL and BKN-OVC clouds AOA 20k ft
MSL thru 14/18Z, then SCT-BKN clouds at 8k-12k ft MSL til 15/05Z.
Slowly diminishing clouds aft 15/05Z. Scattered to numerous
SHRA/TSRA developing aft 14/19Z and persisting through the evening
hours tonight before diminishing. Wind gusts to 45 kts possible near
any TSRA along with mountain obscurations. Otherwise, SFC wind
generally less than 12 kts. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF
amendments.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...There will be a good chance of showers and
thunderstorms across southeast Arizona the next week. Gusty
outflow winds will be the primary concern with the daily storms.
Min RH values will be in the 25-35 percent range at the lower
elevations, with higher values in the mountains. 20-foot winds
will generally be less than 15 mph and follow normal diurnal
trends when not influenced by thunderstorms.

&&

&&

.TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
 Flash Flood Watch through this evening for AZZ501>507-509-511-
  513>515.

&&

Visit us on Facebook...Twitter...YouTube...and at weather.gov/Tucson

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Lightning, Pinal

When: July 14, 6:30 AM MST
Where: Pinal County, 8.72 mi SW of Oracle
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates: 32.535, -110.881

Lightning started a small fire at a residence in the Saddlebrooke area.

Flash Flood, Pima

When: July 14, 7:00 AM MST to 9:00 AM MST
Where: Pima County, 10.32 mi SW of Oracle to 10.71 mi SW of Camp Bonito
Cause: Heavy Rain / Burn Area
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 32.506, -110.885

Heavy rain of 1 to 2 in less than an hour in the upper reaches of the Canada Del Oro Wash within the Bighorn burn scar caused rapid rises downstream. Rail North Rd along Lago Del Oro Parkway to Wilds Rd was closed to high water levels.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pima

When: July 14, 7:20 AM MST
Where: Pima County, 4.1 mi NNW of Drexel Hgts
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 32.237, -111.037

Thunderstorm winds downed power poles near the intersection of Speedway and Painted Hills.

Flash Flood, Pima

When: July 14, 7:28 AM MST to 10:00 AM MST
Where: Pima County, 3.32 mi W of Tuscon Ryan Fld Arpt to 1.6 mi W of Old Tuscon
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 32.137, -111.226

Heavy rain of 1 to 1.5 in 90 minutes west of Interstate 10 and north of Highway 86 in Tucson resulted in flash flooding and the closure of several roads including Bopp Rd, Jamie Ave, Aldon Rd, and Sandario Rd. A vehicle was stranded in floodwaters at Sweetwater and Silverbell.

Flash Flood, Pinal

When: July 14, 8:50 AM MST to 10:00 AM MST
Where: Pinal County, 4.7 mi SSE of Florence to 6.29 mi E of Coolidge Florence Ar
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 32.973, -111.336

More than 1 inch of rain in less than 1 hour caused flash flooding in Cactus Forest and the closure of Quail Ridge Way near Diffin Rd.

Flash Flood, Pima

When: July 14, 10:00 AM MST to 11:00 AM MST
Where: Pima County, 6.95 mi NW of Mt Lemmon to 6.51 mi SE of Oro Vly
Cause: Heavy Rain / Burn Area
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 32.511, -110.874

Strong flows continued in the Canada Del Oro Wash as a result of 1 to 2 of rain in less than an hour in the upper reaches of the basin within the Bighorn burn scar. Overton Rd. was closed due to flooding and the loop trail at Christina Taylor Green Park was flooded. More than an inch of rain in less than 1 hour also occurred from Marana to the southern Tortolita Mountains. As a result a swift water rescue was performed near Grier and Sandario and another west of Edwin and Oracle Rds.

What these are

Lightning: A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
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.
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.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Arizona in 2021 Every state in 2021 This day in weather history Warnings in Arizona, July 2021

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: 975788, 975764, 975763, 975771, 975776, 975765.