Strong thunderstorms moved southwestward into the Tucson Metro area causing power outages and fire starts due to lightning. Additionally, the storms produced heavy rainfall causing running water over roadways in the Tucson Metro.
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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.
Strong thunderstorms moved southwestward into the Tucson Metro area causing power outages and fire starts due to lightning. Additionally, the storms produced heavy rainfall causing running water over roadways in the Tucson Metro. Heavy rainfall also caused a roadway to close for roughly 24 hours in Benson.
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 15, 12:36 PM MST, 4 hours 24 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tucson AZ 1236 PM MST Tue Jul 15 2025 .SYNOPSIS... Shaping up to be an active monsoon day, with flash flooding and potential for blowing dust as the primary threats. && .KEY MESSAGES... - An average to above average grade monsoon day is forecast for today. Heavy rain and the potential for flash flooding is the primary threat, mainly for eastern Pima (including Tucson), Santa Cruz, and Cochise Counties. - Monsoon activity tomorrow and Thursday will likely depend on what happens each of the previous days. Uncertainty in the forecast overall is high. - Temperatures will generally be within a few degrees of normal, with low to moderate HeatRisk. && .DISCUSSION... Light convection has already started to form over portions of Graham and Greenlee Counties and the Huachucas. This is fairly consistent with recent HiRes model forecasts. Expecting the activity to ramp up in the coming hours as daytime heating allows for more energy buildup to be realized. As storms continue to move off of the higher terrain, they'll move into a more favorable environment both to the southeast in with CAPE values exceeding 1000 J/kg and available moisture from Tucson southward. The primary threat today will be heavy rainfall and the potential for flash flooding. With such dry conditions the past several months, areas with slower moving thunderstorms should expect to see water overrunning low lying areas and roads. Thus, there is a Flash Flood Watch in effect for portions of Pima, Cochise, Santa Cruz through this evening in concert with the Slight Risk of Excessive Rain forecast from WPC. Have a plan when it comes to encountering flash flooding. Turn around, don't drown. Lastly, for the rest of today, blowing dust is also a concern across the Willcox Playa and north of Tucson near Picacho. Gusty outflows from stronger downdrafts may kick up dust and cause temporary visibility issues. Forecasts for beyond today, primarily for Wednesday and Thursday, will be more complicated, as the weather will depend on what happens the previous day. Based on prior experience, active days can inhibit widespread activity on following days. At this stage, the forecast reflects average grade monsoon days, but with a high degree of uncertainty. A drier period is likely to set in at some point in the next week, but it is highly uncertain when this will be. This is because there is low predictability in the evolution of a closed upper low off the Baja coast over the next several days. There will be some day to day variability in high temperatures over the next week, but generally expect them to be within a few degrees of normal for this time of year. && .AVIATION... SCT-BKN 7-12k ft AGL through the period. Another round of SCT TSRA/SHRA is expected aft 15/20Z for much of southeast Arizona. Wind gusts of 40-50 kts with 1-3SM VSBY in BLDU are possible with the thunderstorms today, especially near KSAD. Otherwise, SFC winds mainly less than 10 kts. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF amendments. && .FIRE WEATHER... A more active monsoon pattern this week. Deeper atmospheric moisture moving into the will increase the potential for heavy rainfall and localized flash flooding, especially today. Temperatures will remain above normal through today, then drop back down to near or slightly below normal by mid week. Winds will remain westerly from 10-15 mph, with occasional gusts at or above 25 mph, and gustier in and around thunderstorm activity. Afternoon RH values in the low lying areas will be between 10-15% this afternoon, then 20-30% through the remainder of the week. && .TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Flood Watch until 11 PM MST this evening for AZZ502>504-507-508- 512>515. && Public...Singer/Dang Aviation...Singer/Dang Fire Weather....Singer/Dang Visit us on Facebook...Twitter...YouTube...and at weather.gov/Tucson
The Tucson radar (KEMX), 57 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:02 UTC.
6 lightning, 2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A trained spotter reported flash flooding across roadway. With a nearby measured rainfall of 1.18 inches in 30 minutes.
A lightning strike hit a tree in a backyard and set it on fire.
A lightning strike hit power company equipment causing 87 Customers to loose power for an unknown duration.
A lightning strike hit power company equipment and caused power outages at the Pima County Election Headquarters and several other areas in Midtown Tucson.
Heavy rainfall caused flash flooding across Overton Rd due to water moving through the Canada del Oro Wash. Overton Rd remained closed from La Cholla Blvd to La Canada Drive into the following day with an unknown opening time.
A lightning strike damaged utility company equipment and caused a power outage for 90 customers for an unknown duration.
A lightning strike damaged utility equipment and caused 200 customers to loose power for an unknown amount of time.
A lightning strike hit an electric transformer causing an explosion and subsequent fire.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, July 2025
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: 1287042, 1287045, 1287046, 1287048, 1287044, 1287050, 1287051, 1287053.