A very active monsoon period occurred September 12th and September 13th across Southeastern Arizona. Strong to severe thunderstorms began in the late morning on September 12th and continued through the overnight hours of September 13th.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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 very active monsoon period occurred September 12th and September 13th across Southeastern Arizona. Strong to severe thunderstorms began in the late morning on September 12th and continued through the overnight hours of September 13th. Severe thunderstorms were able to produce hail ranging from 1 inch to an estimated 2.75 inches in diameter and measured wind gusts of 60 to 63 mph. Thunderstorm winds caused a semi-truck driving on Interstate 10 to be overturned, with no injury. Additionally, a landspout tornado near Vail, Arizona was reported with no injury or damage to property. Heavy rainfall due to thunderstorm activity led to water running over washes and roadways causing the death of an individual in Benson, AZ in a swift water rescue. Additionally, the running water caused damage to roadways in Benson, AZ.
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 Sep 12, 9:16 AM MST, 55 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tucson AZ 916 AM MST Fri Sep 12 2025 .SYNOPSIS...Scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms will continue today mainly from Tucson south and eastward. Gusty winds, brief heavy rain, blowing dust and lightning will be the main hazards. High temperatures will be a few degrees below normal through Saturday, then warm back to normal or a few degrees above normal. There will be a slight chance of thunderstorms southeast of Tucson on Saturday and dry conditions areawide Sunday. Temperatures warm back up a couple of degrees next week, along with a return of slight chances of afternoon and evening thunderstorms. && .UPDATE... Early morning convection continues on the leading edge of an upper level jet, associated with the deep trough sitting over southern California through northern Baja. Recent radar imagery has shown signs of mid-level rotation within these storms, indicative of moderate deep layer shear present with the incoming trough and stronger flow aloft. While these morning thunderstorms should remain sub-severe, increasing instability over the next several hours should allow for more widely scattered thunderstorms to develop with an isolated severe threat and the possibility of hail, damaging wind gusts, and heavy rainfall. This morning's satellite derived precipitable water products (especially Advected Layered Precipitable Water (ALPW)) show that the healthiest mid- level moisture for greater thunderstorm coverage remains through Cochise, Graham, and Greenlee counties. However, the 700-500mb ALPW precipitable water imagery depicts a westward shift over the previous 24 hours in its western edge through Dudleyville, Tucson, and down through Nogales. Yesterday afternoon this gradient sat just on the east side of Tucson which is where the heaviest convection ended up as well. It seems reasonable then given this westward shift in healthier mid- level moisture that Tucson will have a better opportunity at convection this afternoon-evening. That said, the southwest to northeast oriented flow will keep thunderstorm motion moving away from Tucson and any Tucson impacts will likely require thunderstorm initiation to occur west/southwest of town. This morning's high- resolution guidance paints a similar picture with likely chances through the eastern counties (40-65 percent chance) and the gradient sitting over central to eastern Pinal, Pima and through Santa Cruz counties (20-40 percent chance). && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 207 AM MST Fri Sep 12 2025/ Water vapor imagery shows a trough centered over the Great Basin and high pressure centered over Texas. This has resulted in a mid- level moisture gradient across southeast Arizona with above normal PWATS east of Tucson and below normal PWATs west of Tucson. Tucson moisture levels are right around normal. Because of this expect similar thunderstorm coverage to yesterday. Hi-res guidance shows scattered to numerous thunderstorms south and east of Tucson with Tucson again on the western edge of activity. Storms will be aided by the approaching trough which increases 500 mb winds to 30-35 kts. This could lead to some storms seeing strong and sustained updrafts which could lead to heavy rainfall and strong outflow winds. The 12/00Z HREF does show the possibility for a rotating storm or two east of Tucson this afternoon. Storms will likely be moving fast which could cut down some on the flash flooding threat, but will still be something to watch. Overnight the trough moves through northern Arizona and southern Utah. This could lead to some overnight convection which is supported by some members of the HREF. The bulk of this overnight activity looks to be mainly over Graham and Greenlee Counties. Saturday with the trough being further east the dry air will also be further east. Above normal moisture will be confined mainly to Cochise County. As a result storm coverage will be less than the past couple days with the best chances in Cochise County and the AZ/NM border. Sunday looks to be dry thanks to the trough scouring out moisture as it exits the region. This is a typical transitional pattern for this point in the monsoon. Temperatures will be below normal through Saturday, then rebounding to around normal or a few degrees above normal thereafter. Next week high pressure sets up to the south and east which will allow some moisture to filter back into southeast Arizona. This will lead to rain chances south and east of Tucson with the best chances along the international border and the White Mountains through mid next week. Right now Tuesday looks to be the best day for rain chances with NBM PoPs 20-40 percent. && .AVIATION...Valid through 13/12Z. SCT-BKN clouds at 8k-12k ft AGL aft 12/17Z. Scattered -SHRA/-TSRA mainly east of KTUS-KOLS-KCGZ line thru 13/04Z. KDUG and KSAD terminals have the best chances to see TSRA. Gusty and erratic winds to 45 kts possible with any thunderstorm. Otherwise, SLY/SWLY SFC wind at 10-16 kts with gusts to 20-25 kts thru 13/04Z. SFC wind less than 10 kts and variable in direction at other times. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF amendments. && .FIRE WEATHER...Minimum RH values will be in the 20-35 percent range through Saturday, lowering into the 15-30 percent range Sunday and Monday. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected from the Tucson area eastward today, with a chance of showers and thunderstorms mainly for Cochise County and east Santa Cruz County Saturday. Dry area-wide Sunday, then a slight chance of thunderstorms south and east of Tucson return again next week. Gusty and erratic winds are expected with thunderstorms. Outside of thunderstorm outflows, expect 20-foot winds to be 15 mph or less, with some afternoon/early evening gusts to around 25 mph. && && .TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && Update...Edwards Visit us on Facebook...Twitter...YouTube...and at weather.gov/Tucson
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
836 AM MST Fri Sep 12 2025
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0401 PM Flash Flood 2 NE Benson 31.98N 110.27W
09/11/2025 Cochise AZ Public
Social media report of stuck cars on
Pomerene Rd due to flash flooding.
&&
AJEThe Tucson radar (KEMX), 25 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:11 UTC.
6 hail, 4 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Multiple photos of landspout tornado near a remote area of the Rincon Mountains near Vail, AZ. The tornado occurred in a remote area that would be difficult to survey. Tornado path and width estimated. No damage or injury reported.
Several photos and videos showing quarter size hail in San Manuel.
Photo of 1 inch hail in Benson, AZ.
Photo and video of numerous 1 inch hail stones.
Weather station recorded wind gust of 60 mph.
Report of overturned semitruck along Interstate 10. No injuries were reported.
Estimated hail size of 1.5 inches with hail accumulation covering the roadways of roughly 8 inches deep.
Photo on social media showing windshield with damage. Hail size is estimated by damage and MRMS Maximum Estimated Size of Hail.
An estimated 1.5 inch hail along Highway 191.
Guthrie RAWS measured wind gust of 63 mph. Time estimated based on radar.
Two individuals attempted to cross a flooded wash and got swept away. Swift water rescues occurred with one person rescued and one fatality. An estimate of 0.75 to 1.0 inches of rainfall according to MRMS. This flash flooding closed Ocotillo Road from 9 PM on the 12th to roughly 6 AM on the 13th of September.
ASOS station at Safford Regional Airport gusted to 58 mph.
Ball Rd, Riley Rd, and West Coyote Song Rd in San Simon, AZ closed due to flooding. Roadways closed for an unknown duration of time.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood, Cochise | 2025-09-12 | 37 | Female | In Water | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Arizona, 2025Warnings in Arizona, September 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: 1295380, 1294955, 1295201, 1295202, 1295205, 1295204, 1295005, 1295208, 1295203, 1295206, 1295004, 1295207, 1295401.