Arizona, 2022

Flash Flood and Dust Storm in Arizona, July 24, 2022

July 24, 2022 · NWS PSR · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A moisture-rich environment was in place on the 24th with PWAT values climbing upwards of 2 across south-central Arizona. A weak disturbance embedded in the flow aided in shower and thunderstorm development to persist out of southeast Arizona and into central portions of the state.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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 PSR wrote it up.

A moisture-rich environment was in place on the 24th with PWAT values climbing upwards of 2 across south-central Arizona. A weak disturbance embedded in the flow aided in shower and thunderstorm development to persist out of southeast Arizona and into central portions of the state. Given the amount of moisture in the environment, thunderstorms were able to produce locally heavy rainfall which led to isolated flash flooding in southern Maricopa County. By the afternoon, daytime heating aided in new thunderstorm development across southeast Arizona, which eventually produced a strong outflow traveling northward into Pinal County. The strong outflow boundary generated isolated dense blowing dust in Pinal County.

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, 5:01 AM MST, 4 hours 29 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 24, 5:01 AM MST, 4 hours 29 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 24, 7:32 AM MST, 1 hour 58 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jul 24, 7:35 AM MST, 1 hour 55 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jul 24, 7:36 AM MST, 1 hour 54 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jul 24, 7:37 AM MST, 1 hour 53 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jul 24, 7:42 AM MST, 1 hour 48 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jul 24, 8:55 AM MST, 35 minutes before
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The radar

The Phoenix radar (KIWA), 78 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:30 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood, 1 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Maricopa

When
July 24, 9:30 AM MST to 10:30 AM MST
Where
Maricopa County, 0.84 mi SW of Estrella to 3.37 mi ENE of Mobile
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Department of Highways
Coordinates
32.991, -112.430

State Route 238 was closed between Gila Bend and Maricopa due to flooding.

Dust Storm, Northwest Pinal County

When
July 24, 6:10 PM MST to 6:20 PM MST
Where
Northwest Pinal County forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
32.904, -111.345 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Visibility less than 1/4 mile near Belmont Dr and Avalon St due to dense blowing dust.

What these are

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.
Dust Storm
Blowing dust that reduced visibility to a quarter mile or less.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Arizona in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, July 2022

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: 1046734, 1046736.