A breach in a berm along Rucker Creek near the northeast edge of Elfrida caused flash flooding in part of town on August 23. Additional rainfall in town and upstream of the breach exacerbated the flooding later that day.
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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 TWC wrote it up.
A breach in a berm along Rucker Creek near the northeast edge of Elfrida caused flash flooding in part of town on August 23. Additional rainfall in town and upstream of the breach exacerbated the flooding later that day. Heavy rain well upstream traveled downstream through the breach and flooded more of the town on August 24 and 25. Several homes sustained significant flood damage.
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 Aug 23, 9:41 AM MST, 3 hours 19 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tucson AZ 941 AM MST Tue Aug 23 2022 .SYNOPSIS...Daily scattered showers and thunderstorms will continue into the upcoming weekend although the heavy rainfall threat will be much less than this past weekend. Temperatures will be warmer but remain a bit below normal during the work week. && .DISCUSSION...12z 500 mb analysis placed mid-level high over southern NV with light N-NE flow over the area. PW values, using various sources, ranged from 1.25" east of Tucson to 1.70" west of Tucson. For today, we are looking at scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon and slowly propagating to the S-SW into the evening hours. Main threats will be strong gusty winds, blowing dust, heavy rain and flash flooding. SPC has portions of our area, from Tucson west under Marginal Risk for severe thunderstorms. && .AVIATION...Valid through 24/12Z. Scattered showers and thunderstorms developing this afternoon with indications of strong storms propagating off the higher terrain to the SW across the lower elevations into the overnight hours tonight. Expect SCT-BKN cloud decks 7k-10k ft AGL developing this afternoon with SCT-BKN higher clouds through the period. Stronger SHRA/TSRA could reduce visibilities in heavy downpours, briefly lower CIGS to 3k-6k ft AGL and produce gusts to 40+ kts. Otherwise winds generally light and following diurnal trends. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF amendments. && .FIRE WEATHER...Daily rounds of scattered showers and thunderstorms will continue through this upcoming weekend with a bit of a downward trend after Thursday. Primary threats will be strong winds, lightning, and isolated flash flooding. Outside of thunderstorm activity, wind trends will remain light and follow typical diurnal trends. && .HYDROLOGY...The Gila River will continue to see a flood wave move slowly downstream through the day into Wednesday. Flood warnings and advisories are in effect as a result of this flow. && .PREV DISCUSSION...Wednesday looks to be another day with rim shot activity thanks to the position of the high and the NE flow aloft. Will likely be an active day again for parts of the area late Wednesday into the overnight hours. Thursday onward the upper level high is not in the best of positions and even settles a bit south allowing westerly flow to develop which will eventually bring about some drying aloft. Moisture will be slow to erode and we will still have daily rounds of showers and storms, they will just become less numerous and focus on the favored areas south and east of Tucson through the weekend. Some model solutions suggest an easterly wave enhancing the moisture over the area again the middle part of next week which would result in a significant uptick in convective activity if it comes to pass. && .TWC NON-Flood WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...None. && Visit us on Facebook...Twitter...YouTube...and at weather.gov/Tucson
The Tucson radar (KEMX), 94 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:58 UTC.
2 flash flood, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A breach in the berm along Rucker Creek near Bell and Thompson Roads resulted in flash flooding of roadways near the creek in eastern sections of Elfrida.
Heavy rain of 1.5 in Elfrida and upstream of a breached berm along Rucker Creek caused flash flooding of streets in Elfrida. Yards also became flooded to the bases of houses.
Rainfall of 2 at the headwaters of Rucker Creek traveled downstream and through and existing breach in a berm combined with rainfall in the immediate area, resulted in an exacerbation of flooding in Elfrida. Flood waters expanded west of Highway 191 and became deeper throughout most of the community. A total of 42 residences sustained at least some flood damage. Eleven sustained major damage and 3 were determined to be a total loss. A couple of businesses also sustained flood damage and floodwaters also affected septic tanks and wells.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, August 2022
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: 1054903, 1054906, 1054908.