SUMMER
FLOOD & STORM EVENTS
July 7 & 13, 1887 |
October 1, 1896 |
July 1919 |
August 1921 |
September 15-19, 1925 |
September 26-27, 1926 |
September 11-13, 1927 |
September 19-24, 1929 |
August 1-10,1930 |
August 1-7,1931 |
July 8,1932 |
August 1934 |
August 28-31,1935 |
July 25, 1936 |
September 28-29, 1941 |
September 23-26, 1944 |
August 9, 1945 |
August 17, 1945 |
August 3, 1946 |
July 14, 1953 |
July 24-25, 1955 |
July 26, 1957 |
October 14, 1957 |
July 29, 1959 |
August 17/20, 1959 |
October 29-30, 1959 |
July 22, 1961 |
August 22, 1961 |
July 31, 1964 |
August 1964 |
July 17, 1965 |
July 18, 1966 |
August 10, 1966 |
September 14, 1966 |
August 11-12, 1967 |
August 7, 1968 |
July 20, 1970 |
August 1972 |
August 6, 1974 |
September 6-8, 1975 |
July 9-11, 1976 |
August 22, 1976 |
September 24, 1976 |
August 13,1980 |
September 9, 1980 |
May 1, 1981 |
July 26, 1981 |
August 2, 1982 |
August 10, 1982 |
August 13, 1982 |
August 16, 1982 |
August 23, 1982 |
August 27, 1982 |
September 11, 1982 |
August 7, 1983 |
July 7, 1990 |
July 10, 1990 |
July 14, 1990 |
July 20, 1990 |
July 24, 1990 |
August 3, 1990 |
August 9, 1991 |
August 14, 1991 |
August 22, 1991 |
September 5, 1991 |
August 6, 1992 |
July 18, 1994 |
August 12, 1994 |
August 19, 1994 |
August 21,1994 |
August 14, 2003 |
August 17, 2004 |
August 14, 2005 |
|
|
|
WINTER STORMS
& FLOODS
February 19-22, 1890 |
February 15-23, 1891 |
December 1906 |
February 11-16,1931 |
March 3-5, 1938 |
January 13-15, 1949 |
December 1965 |
February 8, 1966 |
December 1967 |
November 14, 1968 |
March 4-20, 1978 |
December 17-20, 1978 |
December 28-29, 1992 |
January 7-19, 1993 |
December 4-6, 1994 |
February 12-14, 2005 |
TROPICAL STORM/HURRICANE-RELATED
FLOODS
July 7 & 13, 1887
Nogales experienced unusually
heavy rains which flooded streets, destroyed bridges, and
washed away railroad tracks (Ingram 5).
February 19-22, 1890
Rain covered the Arizona
Territory for three days straight with little let-up. The
rains melted snow in higher elevations, causing rapid rises
in runoff. The newly completed $600,000 Walnut Grove Dam in
Yavapai County burst on the 22nd, drowning about 50 people.
The Salt, Gila, Colorado, and Santa Cruz rivers all overflowed
their banks (Ingram 6).
February 15-23, 1891
Two Pacific storms dumped
rain over the Arizona Territory, causing damage in almost
every town. The Gila River at Fort Thomas was very high on
the 19th, preventing travel to west to Black Rock. Clifton
also suffered severe flooding. Holbrook and Fort Thomas reported
the highest water levels ever known on the 24th. The Gila
at Eagle Pass was seven feet above the previous high water
mark. Much destruction occurred and many lives were lost (Ingram
7).
October 1, 1896
Two cloudbursts in the
Whetstone Mountains sent flash floods through Benson, drowning
two mothers and four children (Ingram 10).
December 1906
Warm rains on the 1st-4th
caused rapid snow melt of November accumulations. This runoff
filled river beds, causing high flows in many streams and
severe floods on the San Francisco river on the 3rd, 4th and
5th, whereby many lives were lost from drowning, much property
was destroyed, and railroad traffic was delayed for more than
a week. Additional rains in the latter half of the month kept
many rivers, including the San Francisco, Gila, and San Pedro,
above fordable stages (Ingram 11).
PEAK
FLOWS:
San Francisco R at Clifton: 70,000 cfs (12/03/06)
July 1919
Thunderstorms accounted
for record-breaking rainfall. Amounts in excess of 2 inches
in 24 hours fell at sixteen stations. Benson reported 2.43
inches in less than one hour. The heavy rains washed out roads
and caused loss to railroads from wrecks, bridges destroyed,
and track washed out. Some damage to irrigating systems was
reported on the San Pedro River. The Gila also reached its
highest stage of the year (Ingram 14).
August 1921
Excessively heavy rains
occurred throughout the mountain regions of the state from
the latter part of July through August. Channel water continued
in the Gila River over most of its length, preventing crossing
except at bridges. Many floods occurred. The total damage,
including crops, irrigation ditches, equipments, loss of records,
etc is estimated at $240,000 (Ingram 14).
September 15-19, 1925
General rainstorms with
thunder and high winds occurred over the entire state. The
Gila River crossing at Gillespie Dam was closed to traffic
for three days, because 4.5 feet of water poured over the
dam. The Winkleman branch of the Southern Pacific railroad
was washed out (Ingram 15).
PEAK
FLOWS:
Santa Cruz R @ Tucson: 3,400 cfs (9/18/25)
Rillito Creek:
3,500 cfs (9/17/25)
September 26-27, 1926
One
of the most damaging rainstorms in Arizona history swept over
central and southeastern Arizona. Bisbee reported the heaviest
monthly rainfall ever known: 10.19 inches. The Agua Prieta
River ran half a mile wide, submerging bridges and highways.
The Gila River was above flood stage at Kelvin. The Southern
Pacific Railroad experienced damaged roadbeds, washed out
bridges, and suspended traffic west of Douglas. Thatcher,
Douglas, Nogales and Safford were flooded and many adobe houses
crumbled. Camp Little at Nogales damage was $12,000. State
Bureau of Highways placed the damage to improved roads and
small bridges at $60,000 (Ingram 16).
STORM
PRECIPITATION TOTALS:
Douglas: 6.90"
Hereford: 8.27"
Naco: 6.50"
PEAK
FLOWS:
San Pedro R. @ Charleston: 98,000 cfs (9/28/26)
San Pedro R. @
Redington: 90,000 cfs (9/28/26)
San Pedro R. @
Winkleman: 85,000 cfs (9/28/26)
Gila R. @ Kelvin:
81,000 cfs (9/28/26)
Santa Cruz R. @
Tucson: 11,400 cfs (9/28/26)
September 11-13, 1927
Heavy rains caused washouts
of railroad tracks between Pima and Central in Graham county,
and Pearce and Kelton in Cochise county. Many rivers, streams,
and washes over flowed and a rise of six feet occurred on
the Gila River at Ray Junction (Ingram 16).
PEAK
FLOWS:
San Francisco R. @ Clifton: 4,060 cfs (9/12/27)
Gila R. @ Solomon:
9,320 cfs (9/13/27)
September 19-24, 1929
Damaging wind and rain
storms occurred in south central and southeastern Arizona.
A cloudburst occurred between Pima and Safford in Graham county.
Highway 80 east and west of Douglas was washed away. Benson
was isolated by washouts on railroads and highways. Four men
were struck by lightning in Nogales. Damage to roads, culverts
and bridges was estimated by the State Highway Department
at $50,000 (Ingram 16).
PEAK
FLOWS:
Santa Cruz R. @ Tucson: 10,400 cfs (9/24/29)
Rillito Creek:
24,000 cfs (9/23/29)
August 1-10, 1930
Unusually heavy rains on
the mountains south and west of Nogales on the 1st, 7th, and
8th caused small stream flooding. Due to rushing waters and
accumulated water and mud, four deaths occurred in Nogales,
Sonora, Mexico. In Nogales, Arizona many adobe buildings collapsed,
and damage to stores and residences occurred. Total damage
was estimated at $20,000 (Ingram 17).
PEAK
FLOWS:
Gila R near Solomon: 10,100 cfs (8/11/30)
San Pedro R at
Charleston: 9,740 cfs (8/7/30)
San Pedro R at
Winkleman: 25,000 cfs (8/8/30)
Gila R at Kelvin:
42,600 cfs (8/8/30)
February 11-16, 1931
Heavy rains caused flash
rises on the Gila River and its tributaries. The San Pedro
River rose to 6.5 feet at Kelvin (Ingram 17).
August 1-7, 1931
Especially heavy rains
over the San Pedro River basin caused flood stages at Kelvin
on the 10th. A heavy rainstorm at Continental inundated the
village, and the Tucson-Florence Junction road was impassable
(Ingram 17).
PEAK
FLOWS:
San Simon R at Solomon: 27,500 cfs (8/9/31)
San Pedro R at
Charleston: 24,500 cfs (8/9/31)
Santa Cruz R at
Tucson: 9,200 cfs (8/10/31)
July 8, 1932
Floodwater rushing down
from the Mexican watershed of Sonora inundated the two border
cities of Nogales to a depth of four feet, crumbling adobe
buildings, flooding homes and businesses, overturning and
demolishing automobiles, and tearing down the international
boundary fence. Damage was estimated at $75,000 (Ingram 18).
August 1934
One of the worst floods
in thirty years occurred on the Gila River. The flood drove
many residents from Duncan, Greenlee county, swept livestock
away, and stopped railroad and highway traffic. Damage was
estimated at $15,000 (Ingram 19).
PEAK
FLOWS:
Gila R @ Clifton: 17,000 cfs (8/26/34)
San Francisco R
@ Clifton: 11,700 cfs (8/26/34)
Gila R @ Solomon:
23,000 cfs (8/27/34)
Gila R @ Calva:
18,000 cfs (8/28/34)
Sonoita Creek @
Patagonia: 11,000 cfs (8/?/34)
August 28-31, 1935
Heavy rains resulted in
numerous floods and flash rises of ordinarily dry washes which
caused considerable loss of life and property. On the 28th,
a transcontinental bus was hit by a wall of water at the Dragoon
underpass near Willcox, and five lives were lost. On the 31st,
flood waters inundated sections of the Rillito Valley, and
considerable damage occurred at Helvetia and other locations
between Tucson and Nogales. Property loss was estimated at
$30,000 (Ingram 19).
PEAK
FLOWS:
Gila R at Kelvin: 21,000 cfs (8/29/35)
Santa Cruz R at
Nogales: 12,000 cfs (8/31/35)
Rillito Creek:
13,400 cfs (8/31/35)
July 25, 1936
Heavy rains occurred in
central and southern Arizona, which washed out railroad tracks
(Ingram 19).
PEAK
FLOWS:
Aravaipa Creek @ Mammoth: 6,500 cfs (7/25/36)
March 3-5, 1938
Monthly precipitation for
southern Arizona was 74 percent above normal. Floods on the
Gila, Salt, and Verde Rivers, and on various other smaller
creeks and washes did a total damage in the state estimated
at $248,228 (Ingram 20).
PEAK
FLOWS:
San Carlos R @ Peridot: 8,640 cfs (3/4/38)
September 28-29, 1941
Heavy rains on the tributaries
of the upper Gila River caused one of the worst floods ever
experienced in Duncan and vicinity, Graham county. Flooding
also occurred in Safford. A large part of the residential
areas and farmlands were inundated. Damage to crops and homes
along the Gila River from Duncan to Coolidge Dam was estimated
at $500,000 (Ingram 21).
PEAK
FLOWS:
Gila R @ Clifton: 28,200 cfs (9/29/41)
Gila R @ Solomon:
31,900 cfs (9/30/41)
Gila R @ Safford:
33,000 cfs (9/30/41)
September 23-26, 1944
Intense local thunderstorms
on the slopes of the Graham and Gila mountains caused severe
local flooding south of Safford and at Thatcher. Extensive
damage occurred to canal systems, county highways, city water
works, growing crops, farmlands, and other property. Total
damage was estimated at $700,000 (Ingram 22).
PEAK
FLOWS:
San Pedro R @ Redington: 19,000 cfs (9/24/44)
August 9, 1945
Thunderstorms caused dry
washes to overflow in Pima county. Flood waters tore a fifteen
foot gap in a bridge on the highway four miles south of Tucson.
Four automobiles plunged into raging torrent, and ten persons
drowned. Total damage was estimated at $26,000 (Ingram 22).
PEAK
FLOWS:
San Simon R @ Solomon: 7,350 cfs (8/10/45)
San Pedro R @ Redington:
14,600 cfs (8/10/45)
Santa Cruz R @
Tucson: 10,800 cfs (8/10/45)
Santa Cruz R @
Cortaro: 14,000 cfs (8/10/45)
August 17,1945
A storm at and above Clifton,
Greenlee county, washed huge quantities of mud and rock down
through the main part of Clifton. Water and silt covered downtown
streets to a depth of two or three feet, many stores were
flooded, automobiles on the streets were almost buried in
rocks and mud. Damage was estimated at $150,000 (Ingram 22).
August 3, 1946
A highway bridge in the
vicinity of Cortaro was washed out. Damage was evaluated at
$8,000 (Ingram 22).
January 13-15, 1949
Warm rains on the upper
reaches of the Gila River caused melting of considerable snow.
The resultant heavy runoff caused minor floods on the Gila
River. Considerable flooding of farmland occurred in the Duncan
and Safford areas. Major damage to rural property was to fences
in river bottoms and to young alfalfa and oat crops (Ingram
22).
PEAK
FLOWS:
Gila R below Blue Creek near Virden, NM: 15,600 cfs
(1/14/49)
San Francisco R
at Clifton: 24,100 cfs (1/13/49)
Gila R at Solomon:
25,200 cfs (1/14/49)
July 14, 1953
A thunderstorm with heavy
rain occurred at Tucson, which damaged power lines and transformers,
eroded streets, broke the gas main, and damaged homes and
stores. Estimated damage was $350,000 (Ingram 26).
PEAK
FLOWS:
Santa Cruz @ Cortaro: 10,800 cfs (7/14/53)
Rillito Creek @
Tucson: 5,470 cfs (7/16/53)
July 24-25, 1955
Heavy rains over the south
central portion of Arizona totaled three to four inches for
the two-day period. There was considerable flooding of dips
and washes.
PEAK
FLOWS:
Gila R @ head of Safford Valley near Solomon: 11,700
cfs (7/24/55)
July 26, 1957
Heavy rains caused flooding
of homes, stores, and farmlands in and near Safford and Thatcher.
Property damage was in excess of $100,000 and crop damage
alone was $65,000 (Ingram 27).
PEAK
FLOWS:
San Francisco R @ Clifton: 5,230 cfs (7/26/57)
Eagle Creek above
Morenci: 4,210 cfs (7/26/57)
Gila R @ head of
Safford Valley near Solomon: 5,980 cfs (7/26/57)
San
Carlos @ Peridot: 7,310 cfs (7/26/57)
October 14, 1957
Heavy rains in the Picacho
area caused floodwater to race through a labor camp flooding
about fifty cabins and a dozen homes. About 250 migrant workers
were homeless during the storm. Property damage was estimated
at $20,000, and considerable damage was done to cotton by
flooding of fields (Ingram 29).
July 29, 1959
Thunderstorms with heavy
rain in Tucson and vicinity caused bout $50,000 damage to
county roads by flooding and $25,000 to automobiles and home
interiors by water.
August 17/20, 1959
On the 17th, heavy rains
caused about $75,000 damage with Pima county. On the 20th,
an estimated $50,000 damage was caused when stores, warehouses,
and homes were flooded.
PEAK
FLOWS:
Eagle Creek above Morenci: 4,780 cfs (8/17/59)
Gila R @ Kelvin:
5,930 cfs (8/17/59)
Pantano Wash @
Vail: 9,310 cfs (8/17/59)
Santa Cruz R @
Cortaro: 8,000 cfs (8/20/59)
October 29-30, 1959
Heavy rains occurred over
central and eastern Arizona. Seven people were killed and
fifty injured. Estimated damaged to the state cotton crop
was $1 million, and $2 million to property and roads.
July 22,1961
Thunderstorms with heavy
rains caused $30,000 damage to city streets in Tucson. Heaviest
damage was in the suburbs were many homes suffered roof and
structural damage. Several cars were washed away in arroyos
(Ingram 29).
PEAK
FLOWS:
Gila R @ Kelvin: 9,600 cfs (7/22/61)
August 22, 1961
A thunderstorm with unusually
heavy rain in Tucson produced over two inches of rainfall
in one hour. The heavy runoff caused severe damage to roads
and property. Estimated damage was: $100,000 to city streets,
$200,000 to county roads, and $25,000 to personal property
(most of which was to automobiles caught in flash floods (Ingram
29).
PEAK
FLOWS:
Santa Cruz R @ Tucson: 16,600 cfs (8/23/61)
San Simon R @ Solomon:
7,750 cfs (8/22/61)
Gila R @ Safford:
6,990 cfs (8/22/61)
July 31, 1964
Thunderstorms caused damage
over a wide area from Tucson westward to Ajo. Most of the
damage in the Tucson area was to homes and automobiles due
to flooding (Ingram 30).
PEAK
FLOWS:
San Francisco R @ Clifton: 8,670 cfs (7/31/64)
August 1964
Heavy local runoff from
thunderstorms damaged roads, and high winds damaged roofs
and utilities near Douglas. No date given (Ingram 31).
July 17, 1965
A powerful thunderstorm
forming over the Rincon Mountains dumped up to 1.2 inches
of rain on Tucson's east side. Flooding caused damage to a
grocery store, apartment complex, and many of Tucson's low
lying roads. Much of Tucson, including Tucson Medical Center,
experienced power failures for up to an hour.
December 1965
Statewide precipitation
was above normal for the entire month. Precipitation on the
23rd caused flooding along the Santa Cruz River and along
the Gila River west of Coolidge Dam. Several hundred acres
of cotton and grain land along the Santa Cruz were flooded,
and Rillito Creek ruptured sewage lines, contaminating a number
of wells in the Tucson area. Palisade Ranger Station in the
Santa Catalina Mountains reported 89.0 inches of snow during
the month (Ingram 32).
PEAK
FLOWS:
San Francisco R at Clifton: 30,500 cfs (12/23/65)
Gila R at head
of Safford Valley, nr Solomon: 43,000 cfs (12/22/65)
San
Carlos R @ Peridot: 36,300 cfs (12/22/65)
Rillito Creek @
Tucson: 12,400 cfs (12/22/65)
February 8, 1966
A cold winter storm put
up to 1.26 inches of rain in many areas of Tucson. Eleven
accidents from
slick roads and flooding
produced most of the damage.
July 18, 1966
A woman drowned in Alamo
creek after her vehicle was inundated with raging flood waters.
This brief storm dumped .64 inches of rain to Tucson causing
other minor gas and power outages.
August 10, 1966
In Sabino Canyon, heavy
runoff from the Catalina Mountains caused considerable damage
in the Sabino Canyon recreation area (Ingram 32).
PEAK
FLOWS:
Sabino Creek @ Tucson: 6,400 cfs (8/10/66)
September 14, 1966
In a two day span of heavy
rain, Mt. Lemmon received 2.49 inches of rain with heavy flooding
of Sabino Canyon ( 6500 c.f.s. at the dam in lower Sabino
Canyon ).
August 11-12, 1967
Heavy rain on the headwaters
of the Gila and San Francisco Rivers caused flooding in Graham
and Greenlee counties. The flood waters damaged roads, utilities,
homes, businesses, irrigation canals and crops (Ingram 32).
PEAK
FLOWS:
Gila R near Virden, NM: 11,500 cfs (8/12/67)
San Francisco R
@ Clifton: 34,700 cfs (8/12/67)
Eagle Creek near
Morenci: 7,650 cfs (8/12/67)
Gila R @ Solomon:
34,800 cfs (8/12/67)
December 1967
In the middle of the month,
a series of winter storms hit the entire state producing heavy
snows. The " Worst storm in Arizona's history " produced local
flooding after snow gave way to rain. The Papago Indian Reservation,
inundated with torrential rains, had many of it's citizens
rescued from floodwaters. The first day of winter, the 21st,
brought a continuation of the onslaught of successive storms
with heavy rains and snows. In southern Arizona, the already
saturated ground produced flood conditions along the Santa
Cruz river. In Amado, the floodwaters backed up to the foothills
of the Santa Rita mountains, washing out roads and railroads.
All in all, 3.39 inches of precipitation fell at the Tucson
airport with significant flooding in Pima and Santa Cruz counties.
Flood damage in the two counties totaled $750,000.
PEAK
FLOWS:
Aravaipa Creek near Mammoth: 15,300 cfs (12/17/67)
Gila R at Kelvin:
27,600 cfs (12/20/67)
Santa Cruz R at
Tucson: 16,100 (12/20/67)
August 7, 1968
An intense, fast moving
storm swepted across Tucson producing heavy rain and hail.
This extremely local storm, typical of summer thunderstorms
in southern Arizona, produced up to 2 inches of rain with
golf ball sized hail stones on the north and east sides of
Tucson. However, only .15 inches of rain fell along the northwest
side of town. Only .04 inches of rain was recorded at the
Tucson airport.
November 14, 1968
A strong winter storm dumped
up to two inches of rain in the valleys and heavy snow in
the higher elevations of southern Arizona. This storm ended
a two month drought with the best drenching of rain since
the monsoon in August. The storm continued through the 15th
totaling 2.4 inches in Tucson causing most creeks and washes
to run at full capacity.
July 20, 1970
Three people drowned when
their vehicle stalled in a wash and was caught in a flash
flood. Overnight, 1.4 inches of rain fell at the Tucson airport
deeming the storm as the worst of the year. The rain helped
to curb an epidemic of forest fires throughout southern Arizona.
September 4, 1970
Tropical storm Norma produced
heavy precipitation along and east of the Baboquivari Mountains
and northward to Tucson and Avra Valley. Rapid runoff washed
out roads and several bridges near Tucson and flooded homes
(Ingram 34).
STORM
PRECIPITATION TOTALS:
Kitt Peak: 8.08"
Tucson: 2.52"
PEAK
FLOWS:
Altar Wash near Three Pts: 22,000 cfs (9/4/70)
August, 1972
Heavy rain near Pima and
the surrounding mountains caused flood waters to breach canals
and irrigation ditches, flood a number of homes and businesses,
and caused considerable damage to roads and farmland (Ingram
37).
October 4-6, 1972
Tropical Storm Joanne moved
into Arizona from southwest of Baja California. The rains
washed out numerous secondary dirt roads and urban streets.
A highway bridge on US 89 south of Tucson was lost. $5 million
damage was incurred to the cotton crop in the Salt River,
Santa Cruz, and lower Colorado Valleys (Ingram 37).
October 17-19, 1972
Tropical moisture caused
heavy rain over most of the state. The ground was already
saturated from tropical storm Joanne earlier in the month.
The heaviest flooding occurred along the San Francisco and
Gila Rivers. The towns of Safford, Clifton, and Duncan suffered
extremely heavy losses due to flooding. Nearly $8 million
in property damage occurred, with most of this in Graham and
Greenlee counties. Agricultural losses in Graham county totaled
$8 million, and in Greenlee county $2 million damage occurred.
Some deaths were caused by drowning (Ingram 38).
August 6, 1974
Heavy rain (2 inches in
three hours) caused flash flooding of washes and creeks leading
into Clifton in Greenlee county. Hardest hit was Chase Creek.
Large stones and rocks, mud, and other debris covered a number
of streets up to three feet deep. Three cars were buried (Ingram
40).
September 6-8, 1975
Heavy rains over southeastern
Arizona caused flooding of the Gila, San Francisco, and Blue
rivers. Hardest hit was Clifton where the San Francisco river
rose 2.5 feet above flood stage. 300 person were evacuated
from their homes, and water rose to a depth of 3 feet in the
streets. Estimated damage to public sector was $91,000; and
to private was $275,000 (Ingram 41).
July 9-11, 1976
Heavy rains caused flooding
in the north and northwest side of Tucson. Cars and trucks
were stranded in three feet of water (Ingram 41).
August 22, 1976
A thunderstorm with heavy
rain caused flooding to the southwest Tucson (Ingram 41).
September 24, 1976
In Tucson, thunderstorms
with heavy rain filled washes, especially the Pantano Wash
and Rillito River. Flooding occurred on almost one hundred
streets and roads, particularly on the north and east sides
of town. Nearly a dozen cars were swept into washes on the
east side. One man was missing and presumed drowned. Two boys
were carried down the Rillito River 1.5 miles before they
could reach ground (Ingram 43).
PEAK
FLOWS:
Alamo Wash @ Tucson: 3,200 cfs (9/24/76)
Rillito Creek near
Tucson: 9,400 cfs (9/24/76)
October 6-10, 1977
Tropical Storm Heather
caused four days of heavy rains and severe flooding in the
Santa Cruz and San Pedro Rivers. The greatest destruction
was along the Santa Cruz between Nogales and Marana, where
peak discharge occurred. Four-day rainfall amounts ranged
from 4 to 14 inches, exceeding average annual precipitation
amounts in some places. 700 people were evacuated from their
homes, and severe damage occurred to crops, livestock, water
supplies, and property (Ingram 44, Sellers et al. 66).
STORM
PRECIPITATION TOTALS:
Bisbee: 5.75"
Douglas: 5.30"
Nogales: 8.30"
Patagonia: 7.64"
PEAK
FLOWS:
Santa Cruz R @ Nogales: 31,000 cfs (10/9/77)
Santa Cruz R @
Continental: 26,500 cfs (10/9/77)
San Pedro R @ Charleston:
23,700 cfs (10/9/77)
March 4-20, 1978
9.53 inches of rainfall
occurred on Mt Lemmon. Overflows of the Gila River flooded
Duncan and 1000-2000 acres of farmland in Safford Valley.
The Rillito Creek, Pantano and Tanque Verde Creeks in Tucson
were near bankfull (PHX HSM).
PEAK
FLOWS:
Rillito Creek near Tucson: 7,500 cfs (3/2/78)
Gila River flooding
at Duncan photo
Gila River flooding
at Duncan photo# 2
Flooded House
photo near Safford
Farmland Flooding
near Duncan photo
December 17-20, 1978
Almost every major river
in Arizona overflowed its banks. Mt Lemmon received 8.46 inches
of rainfall, and the Gila and Salt River basins were saturated
from previous rainfall and snowmelt. Waters from the Gila
River were seven feet deep in the town of Duncan, and 75 homes
were destroyed when a dike broke. Flood waters inundated much
of Safford Valley, with major agricultural damage. Along the
San Francisco River near Clifton, 1000 people were evacuated
from homes. In Graham county, one man died of a heart attack
while being evacuated. Downstream from Coolidge Dam, the Gila
and San Pedro Rivers caused localized flooding near Kelvin,
Kearney, Riverside, Hayden, and Winkelman. The Santa Cruz
River overflowed near Green Valley and Marana.
PEAK
FLOWS:
San Francisco R at Clifton: 56,000 cfs (12/19/78)
Gila R at head
of Safford Valley, near Solomon: 100,000 cfs (12/19/78)
San
Carlos R near Peridot: 22,500 cfs (12/18/78)
Santa Cruz R at Tucson: 13,500 cfs (12/19/78)
August 13, 1980
Very heavy rains in the
area and upstream on the Santa Cruz River in Mexico caused
considerable flood damage to mobile homes, houses, commercial
buildings and streets in Santa Cruz County (Sellers et
al. 72).
PEAK
FLOWS:
Brawley Wash near Three Points: 4,400 cfs (8/13/80)
Santa Cruz R @
Tucson: 2,760 cfs (8/13/80)
San Pedro R @ Tombstone:
1,400 cfs (8/15/80)
September 9, 1980
An infant girl and her
2-year-old brother drowned after they were swept from their
mother's arms by the raging water of Railroad Wash, near Franklin.
A 3-year-old sister also drowned as they were trying to reach
the highway on higher ground a short distance from their mobile
home. They were caught in a very sudden surge of water that
had built up as a result of 4 inches of rain upstream in New
Mexico during the afternoon and evening (Sellers et al.
72).
PEAK
FLOWS:
Gila R below Blue Creek, Virden, NM: 4,300 cfs (9/10/80)
Gila R near Clifton:
8,500 cfs (9/10/80)
May 1, 1981
A severe thunderstorm hit
the tri-city area of Hayden, Winkelman, and Dudleyville. A
dike broke on the San Pedro River at Dudleyville, sending
a four-foot wall of water, mud and rocks into a residential
section, damaging 14 homes, 4 with major damage. Fifty people
had to be evacuated (Sellers et al. 72)
PEAK
FLOWS:
Green Lantern Wash @ Winkleman: 3,700 cfs (5/1/81)
July 26, 1981
Eight persons lost their
lives when a wall of water 15 feet high rushed down the Tanque
Verde Canyon and over the 100-foot Tanque Verde Falls. Most
of the victims were killed when their bodies were battered
against the rocks and debris. Some of the bodies were not
recovered for several days. Tanque Verde Falls is about 15
miles east of Tucson (Sellers et al. 73).
PEAK
FLOWS:
San Pedro R near Redington: 3,460 cfs (7/29/81)
Santa Cruz R @
Tucson: 2,700 cfs (7/27/81)
Tanque Verde Creek:
6,700 cfs (7/30/81)
August 2, 1982
A thunderstorm dropped
nearly 2 inches of rain in 90 minutes in parts of Tucson,
flooding many streets and roads from 1 to 5 feet deep. Two
young girls were rescued as they were being swept down an
arroyo. There was road damage and water damage to cars (Sellers
et al. 74)
August 10, 1982
Severe thunderstorm winds,
accompanied by 2.5 inches of rain and flash flooding, injured
three people in Ajo. The storm also damaged 200 homes and
businesses, 73 of them severely (Sellers et al. 74)
August 13, 1982
A very strong thunderstorm
dumped up to 2.5 inches of rain over Tucson, damaging many
city and county roads and streets and reducing rush hour traffic
to a crawl. A man floated down a flooded arroyo in his car.
Forty main intersections in the city were flooded 1-4 feet
deep. At one intersection, where flood waters washed away
the pavement, a hole 8 feet deep was scoured out (Sellers
et al. 75).
PEAK
FLOWS:
Blue R near Clifton: 2,620 cfs (8/14/82)
Sabino Creek near
Tucson: 2,000 cfs (8/13/82)
August 16, 1982
A severe thunderstorm produced
extensive flood and wind damage to homes and farm buildings
in the Safford area. The storm also produced ping-pong-size
hail which destroyed 600 acres of prime cotton (Sellers et
al. 75).
August 23, 1982
A fierce thunderstorm with
up to 4 inches of rain, marble-size hail and wind up to 50-60
mph, caused considerable street flooding and extensive property
damage. About 40 mobile homes were damaged, a dozen seriously,
and several totally destroyed in a west-side trailer park
(Sellers et al. 75).
PEAK
FLOWS:
Tanque Verde Creek near Tucson: 2,460 cfs (8/23/82)
Pantano Wash near
Vail: 3,400 cfs (8/23/82)
Rincon Creek near
Tucson: 1,800 cfs (8/23/82)
Santa Cruz R @
Cortaro: 13,300 (8/23/82)
August 27, 1982
After a torrential rain
storm of 2.5 inches in 2 hours, streets were flooded and a
four-foot wall of water came roaring down Brewery Gulch, in
Bisbee. A man trying to remove his car from a flooded street
was carried downstream and into an underground culvert. The
body was recovered four miles downstream (Sellers et al.
75).
September 11, 1982
Several severe thunderstorms
with a total of 2 to 4 inches of rain and local hail up to
3/4 inch in diameter caused considerable street flooding,
closing numerous Tucson intersections. The hardest hit was
the northeast side. Over a dozen persons were rescued from
their stalled cars in deep water. A car was swept down Arroyo
Chico, but the driver escaped without injury (Sellers et
al. 75-76).
PEAK
FLOWS:
San Pedro R @ Palominas: 4,260 cfs (9/10/82)
San Pedro R @ Charleston:
8,800 cfs (9/10/82)
San Pedro R @ Tombstone:
6,500 cfs (9/10/82)
San Pedro R @ Redington:
7,190 cfs (9/11/82)
San Pedro R @ Winkleman:
4,950 cfs (9/12/82)
Gila R @ Kelvin:
3,530 (9/12/82)
August 7, 1983
Several cars were trapped
by flash floods in Tucson washes when a severe thunderstorm
with winds up to 81 mph at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and
77 mph at Tucson International Airport caused considerable
damage (Sellers et al. 77).
September 29 - October 3,
1983
Extremely heavy rain deluged
much of the state. During the previous week, a serious of
minor disturbances associated with a strong low-pressure trough
off the California coast had passed through the state, touching
off widespread thunderstorm activity that saturated the ground.
On the 30, another disturbance entered the state at the same
time as a surge of moisture from Tropical Storm Octave off
the coast of Baja California. The result was torrential rains
and very destructive flooding over the southeast quarter of
the State in broad zones along rivers, creeks, and washes.
About 10,000 people were displaced from their residences.
Water, mud and debris severely damaged or destroyed over 1300
homes; 1700 received lesser damage. Many persons who fled
from their homes were cut off from help because roads, bridges,
and phone and electric lines were washed away. Twenty main
highways were closed, isolating dozens of towns. I-10, the
main link between Phoenix and Tucson, was washed out at the
Gila River. 9 people drowned trying to cross flooded washes;
4 others were killed when 2 aircraft got caught in downbursts
and crashed. Numerous people were rescued from rooftops and
stranded cars by helicopters. In many communities, water and
sewer lines were severed. The hardest hit cities were: Clifton,
Tucson, Marana, Nogales, Safford, Winkelman, and Hayden. New
record flows were set on the San Francisco at Clifton with
an estimated 125,000 cfs; on the Santa Cruz at Tucson with
an estimated 45,000 cfs. Flow on Aravaipa Creek near its mouth
rose from 10,000 cfs to 70,000 cfs in only four hours. Although
this peak was 25,000 cfs greater than the Santa Cruz at Tucson
peak, the basin has only about 1/4 the area. Damage to agriculture
was enormous in all categories: crops, land, irrigation canals
and ditches, wells, livestock and machinery. About one-seventh
of the state's cotton crop was severely damaged or destroyed.
Much of the rich topsoil was washed downstream into large
reservoirs. This was Arizona's most destructive flood and
the 7th major flood in less than six years (Sellers et
al. 77).
STORM
PRECIPITATION TOTALS:
Eloy: 4.51"
Miami: 6.58"
Nogales: 9.72"
Oracle: 6.76"
Safford: 6.36"
Tucson: 6.40"
PEAK
FLOWS:
Gila R near Clifton: 15,300 cfs (10/02/83)
Blue R @ Clifton:
24,300 cfs (10/01/83)
San Francisco R
@ Clifton: 90,900 cfs (10/02/83)
Eagle Creek above
Morenci: 36,400 cfs (10/02/83)
Gila R @ head of
Safford Valley near Solomon: 132,000 cfs (10/02/83)
Gila
R @ Calva: 150,000 cfs (10/03/83)
San Carlos R near
Peridot: 10,300 cfs (10/01/83)
San Pedro R near
Tombstone: 13,600 cfs (10/02/83)
San Pedro R near
Redington: 25,400 cfs (10/02/83)
Aravaipa Creek
near Mammoth: 70,800 cfs (10/01/83)
San Pedro R @ Winkelman:
135,000 cfs (10/01/83)
Gila R @ Kelvin:
100,000 cfs (10/02/83)
Santa Cruz R @
Nogales: 16,200 cfs (10/02/83)
Santa Cruz R @
Continental: 45,000 cfs (10/02/83)
Santa Cruz R @
Tucson: 52,700 cfs (10/02/83)
Rillito Creek near
Tucson: 29,700 cfs (10/02/83)
Santa Cruz R @
Cortaro: 65,000 cfs (10/02/83)
July 7, 1990
In a 3-hour period ending
about 1315 MST, up to 3.03 inches of rain fell along the Canada
del Oro and Tanque Verde watersheds near Tucson, AZ. Several
vehicles reported to have stalled in washes and five motorists
were rescued by the Sheriff's Department (Storm Data).
July 10, 1990
Numerous thunderstorms
forced the closure of State Route 86 in the Ryan Field area.
Two U.S. Border Patrol agents were rescued from their stranded
vehicles. There were flooded washes and highway dips in other
parts of eastern Pima County. Wind gusts of 46 mph were reported
in the area (Storm Data).
July 14, 1990
Thunderstorms caused flooding
in the Kino Springs area, 4 miles east of Nogales. The Santa
Cruz was reported running full and several roads were washed
out and homes flooded. Minor street flooding also occurred
in Sierra Vista, Benson, Tombstone, and Elfrida (Storm
Data).
July 20, 1990
Heavy flooding occurred
on some Tucson roads and several motorists were stranded while
trying to cross flooded dips. Several homes and businesses
were flooded and damage was estimated to exceed $30,000. A
wall at an apartment complex also suffered $100,000 worth
of damage. A reclamation plant was also flooded. A Tucson
man was killed when he fell 40 feet over a waterfall in the
Tanque Verde Falls area (Storm Data).
July 24, 1990
Widespread severe flooding
affected many areas of eastern Pima County. One unidentified
man fell into the swollen Santa Cruz River at St. Mary's Road
and was swept away. More than 50 river rescues were made during
the morning. Up to 4.00 inches of rain resulted in 25 road
closures in the county, and 24 roads were closed within the
city of Tucson. One automatic gage had 3.55 inches, with 2
inches in only 30 minutes. Several homes were flooded in the
Oracle area. About 150 people were evacuated voluntarily at
the 49'ers Country Club. The Public Works Department reported
21,000 cfs in the Santa Cruz River, making this the highest
July discharge since 1910. At the height of the storm, 6 feet
of water had accumulated in the Stone underpass (Storm
Data).
August 3, 1990
Sheriff's office reported
a downed power pole and a flooded house in southeast Tucson.
Several vehicles were stuck in flood waters in the Tanque
Verde area. One and eight-tenths inches fell in just 15 minutes
(Storm Data).
August 9, 1991
A 60-year-old man was rescued
from his pickup truck after it was caught in a raging wash
on the south side of Tucson. The fire department received
80 calls in 2.5 hours as thunderstorms downed wires and started
a few tree fires (Storm Data).
PEAK
FLOWS:
Santa Cruz R @ Tucson: 2,130 cfs (8/9/91)
August 14, 1991
Winds in parts of Graham
county were estimated at 65 mph as 8 power poles were downed
and large trees blown over. There was also widespread urban
and roadway flooding between Safford and Thatcher which lasted
until about midnight. A spotter in Thatcher recorded 1.95
inches of rainfall. Cotton crops sustained widespread damage.
Most storm movement was from north to south (Storm Data).
August 22, 1991
About 10 people were pulled
from swollen washes as heavy rains rapidly filled low spots.
One observer reported that 6th and Tucson Blvd. received 1.78
inches. More than 100 calls came into the Fire Department
dispatch office. Pea-size hail and winds to 47 mph were also
reported. At least one airliner was diverted to Phoenix. The
temperature dropped from 102 to 70 degrees in about 20 minutes
(Storm Data).
September 5, 1991
Rainfall was locally heavy
around many areas of the state this afternoon. A very moist
and unstable air mass set the stage for strong thunderstorms
that developed by late afternoon. A motorist near Clifton
escaped her car just before raging flood waters along Ward's
Canyon Road swept it away. Attempts to save the car and the
motorist's belongings failed (Storm Data).
PEAK
FLOWS:
Eagle Creek above Morenci: 3,120 cfs (9/6/91)
Bonita Creek near
Morenci: 3,220 cfs (9/5/91)
Gila R @ head of
Safford Valley near Solomon: 7,770 cfs (9/6/91)
Gila
R @ Calva: 4,880 cfs (9/7/91)
August 6, 1992
Downburst winds damaged
aircraft at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and downed a few
power lines in South Tucson. Peak winds were 61 mph at Tucson
Airport and 46 mph at Davis Monthan. The Pima County Sheriff's
Office reported flooding of city streets after heavy rains.
One spotter had 2.41 inches at Dodge and Fort Lowell. Motorists
had to be rescued from cars that had stalled on flooded streets.
Up to two inches of rain fell near Prince Road and Campbell
Ave, with 1.25 inches in 30 minutes (Storm Data).
PEAK
FLOWS:
San Carlos R @ Peridot: 4,160 cfs (8/6/92)
Santa Cruz R @
Tucson: 5,970 cfs (8/6/92)
Canada del Oro
below Ina Rd.: 2,760 cfs (8/7/92)
Santa Cruz R @
Cortaro: 3,350 cfs (8/6/92)
December 28-29, 1992
Nine people were stranded
by runoff from melting snow and moderate rains in Sabino Canyon.
All were rescued without any injuries. On the 29th, about
2.05 inches of rain fell in the foothills and over 4.00 inches
fell on top of Mt. Lemmon, yet only .70 fell at the airport
on the 29th. The Sheriff's Office reported the Santa Cruz
beginning to breach its banks near the Pinal County line.
Pima County emergency services reported that all unbridged
road crossings were closed on major washes, creeks, and rivers
in the Tucson area (Storm Data).
PEAK
FLOWS:
San Francisco R @ Clifton: 5,200 cfs (12/29/92)
Gila R @ head of
Safford Valley near Solomon: 10,800 cfs (12/30/92)
San
Carlos near Peridot: 24,800 cfs (12/30/92)
Rillito Creek @
Dodge Blvd.: 17,700 cfs (12/28/92)
January 7-19, 1993
Roads, bridges, homes and
businesses suffered considerable damage in Pima County beginning
on the 7th. A new all-time January record of 4.81 inches fell
in Tucson, eclipsing the 4.00 inches in 1916. Numerous rescues
were made throughout southeast Arizona as motorists tried
to drive vehicles through creeks and low spots. Several thousand
people were isolated in their homes as flood waters from the
Rillito River cut off all roads. A weather-related crash in
Tucson left 7 people hospitalized. Two major bridges over
the Santa Cruz River were closed. Many roads closed in both
Greenlee and Graham Counties due to flooding. Duncan was the
hardest hit. Half of the town was under water when a dike
broke and later left at least 150 people homeless. The San
Francisco River and Gila River flooded some farmland near
Safford. Uncontrolled flow passed over the Coolidge Dam spillways
for the first time since it was built (Storm Data).
STORM
PRECIPITATION TOTALS:
Arivaca: 5.12"
Benson: 4.11"
Bisbee: 5.08"
Clifton: 4.03"
Duncan: 4.09"
Kitt Peak: 7.28"
Nogales: 5.25"
Tucson WSO: 4.62"
Willcox: 6.11"
PEAK
FLOWS:
Gila R below Blue Creek: 30,000 cfs (1/11/93)
San Francisco R
@ Clifton: 20,600 cfs (1/11/93) & 42,900 cfs (1/18/93)
Eagle Creek near
Morenci: 28,800 cfs (1/8/93) & 36,800 cfs (1/18/93)
Bonita Creek near Morenci: 4,180 cfs (1/11/93) & 19,500 cfs (1/18/93)
Gila R @ head of
Safford valley near Solomon: 75,600 cfs (1/11/93) & 86,200
cfs (1/19/93)
Gila R @ Calva:
105,000 cfs (1/12/93) & 109,000 cfs (1/20/93)
San
Carlos R @ Peridot: 54,800 cfs (1/8/93) & 26,400 cfs (1/18/93)
Gila R @ Winkelman:
37,200 cfs (1/20/93)
San Pedro R @ Charleston:
11,500 cfs (1/19/93)
San Pedro R @ Redington:
15,000 cfs (1/8/93) & 19,100 cfs (1/19/93)
Aravaipa Creek
near Mammoth: 7,840 cfs (1/8/93) & 13,000 cfs (1/11/93)
Gila R @ Kelvin:
43,900 cfs (1/11/93), 33,100 cfs (1/14/93), 74,900 cfs (1/19/93)
& 57,900 cfs (1/21/93)
Santa Cruz R @
Nogales: 8,800 cfs (1/18/93)
Santa Cruz R @
Continental: 6,870 cfs (1/11/93) & 32,400 cfs (1/19/93)
Santa Cruz R @
Tucson: 9,600 cfs (1/11/93) & 37,400 cfs (1/19/93)
Tanque Verde Creek @ Tucson: 24,500 cfs (1/8/93), 9,690 cfs (1/11/93)
& 10,600 cfs (1/18/93)
Pantano Wash (Broadway
Blvd.): 4,340 cfs (1/18/93)
Rillito Creek (Dodge
Blvd.): 24,100 cfs (1/8/93), 7,750 cfs (1/11/93), & 11,400
cfs (1/18/93)
Rillito Creek (La
Cholla Blvd.): 24,400 cfs (1/8/93), 12,100 cfs (1/11/93),
& 11,600 cfs (1/18/93)
Santa Cruz R near
Marana: 4,950 cfs (1/12/93)
Photo
of Winkelman Flooding
Photo 2 of Winkelman Flooding
Coolidge Dam Photo
Gila River near Solomon photo
July 18, 1994
Heavy downpours from thunderstorms
inundated the streets and an apartment complex 5 miles southwest
of Tucson. Water, six inches deep, flowed through Mission
Park Apartments, and destroyed the irrigation system. Also,
at one point, water flowed about a foot deep on Valencia and
Mission Streets (Storm Data).
August 12, 1994
A thunderstorm produced
a torrential downpour at Lukeville, located within the southeast
border of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. The chief ranger
reported nearly two inches of rain within an hour. All washes
were running heavy, to the point that ADOT road crews were
on the scene, clearing mud and debris from the roads.
August 19, 1994
A devastating severe thunderstorm
occurred just northeast of downtown Tucson, Arizona between
approximately 225 and 330 pm. Along with wind damage, flash
flooding occurred in both eastern Pima and Santa Cruz counties.
Normally dry washes in the Pantano Wash area were running
with two feet of water in some places. City streets were considerably
flooded, especially between Broadway and Grant. A vehicle
became stranded in one of the underpases and eventually the
car was totally under water...but no one was injured. Washes
were running over and streets were like rivers. Considerable
flooding also occurred in Santa Cruz County as well, from
an entirely different storm during the warning period (from
local storm report).
August 21, 1994
Thunderstorms around Nogales
caused extensive flooding and heavy runoff. In some places,
at least three inches of rain fell in the afternoon and early
evening hours. The Santa Cruz river was reported flowing,
and the Nogales Wash was nearly bankfull. A Mexican woman
and her two children were drowned when their pickup truck
was caught in flood waters on Cinco de Febrero Street in Nogales,
Sonora. The bodies were swept downstream, two miles north
of the border, where they were found near the Chula Vista
subdivision. Many homes and businesses were flooded, but no
estimates of damage were made and no evacuations were necessary
(Green Valley News and Sun, circ:7,500).
December 4-6, 1994
A slow-moving subtropical
low pressure system west of Baja California circulated tropical
moisture northeastward into Arizona. During the storms passage,
up to three inches of rain was reported around the area. The
National Weather Service in Tucson reported a storm total
of 2.56 inches during the three day period. All washes and
rivers in the area were reported running heavily, and one
Mexican national was stranded in his van at Arroyo Chico.
Three traffic fatalities that were initially attributed to
the rains were later ascribed to other causes. No other damage
or injuries were reported.
STORM
PRECIPITATION TOTALS:
Arivaca: 3.36"
Bisbee: 2.24"
Kitt Peak: 3.11"
Patagonia: 2.65"
Tucson WSO: 2.56"
Tumacacori: 3.51"
PEAK
FLOWS:
Gila R below Blue Creek, near Virden, NM: 22,700 cfs
(12/6/94)
San Francisco R
near Clifton: 10,800 cfs (12/6/94)
Gila R @ head of
Safford Valley near Solomon: 32,000 cfs (12/6/94)
Gila
R @ Calva: 30,200 cfs (12/7/94)
San Pedro R @ Charleston:
7,500 cfs (12/6/94)
Tanque Verde Creek
@ Tucson: 3,470 cfs (12/5/94)
Rillito Creek (La
Cholla Blvd.): 3,500 cfs (12/6/94)
August
14, 2003
Heavy
rainfall (1.75 inches in 30 minutes) on two recent burn areas
just south of Oracle (Aspen and Oracle Hill Fires) caused
an 8 to 12 foot wall of water to rush down Campo Bonito Wash
on the backside of the Santa Catalina Mountains. What amounted
to a 25 year rainfall resulted in pre-burn 100 year flood.
A local resident was swept out of his home to his death downstream.
(WR TA No. 03-10).
August
17, 2004
Widespread
flash flooding affected the Safford Valley from Fort Thomas
in the west and Safford in the east. Radar-indicated rainfall
totals of 1.00 to 2.00 inches were widespread throughout the
valley and on north facing slopes of Mount Graham. Highway
70 was closed just west of Pima due to Matthew's Wash. A truck
was stuck in Talley Wash north of Thatcher. The Eastern Arizona
Railroad track received extensive damage west of Pima. The
town of Central and part of Thatcher were
without phone service due to the flooding. Rain fell on the
Nuttall Fire burn area on Mount Graham. High flows from the
burn area affected Frye Creek, Deadman Canyon, Marijilda Canyon,
Noon Creek, and Wet Canyon. Bridges along Highway 366 at Wet
Canyon and Noon Creek were overtopped and impassible till
crews could clear debris. Frye Creek ran high enough to isolate
portions of Daley Estates. The stream gage in Deadman Canyon
was destroyed while the gage in Marijilda Canyon was damaged.
February
12-14, 2005
Rain
on snow event produced moderate flooding along the Gila River
at Duncan where a section in the towns dike system broke
flooding one occupied structure and the state highway near
the Duncan high school. Minor flooding in the Safford Valley
and near Bylas along the Gila River flooded numerous agricultural
fields. Several bridge approaches in Solomon, Safford, Thatcher,
and Pima were closed due to flooding. Flood waters reached
the bottom of the rail bridge in Clifton.
August
14, 2005
Heavy
rainfall of upwards of 3.00 inches over about a 2-hour period
led to channel breakouts just north of the Highway 86 bridge
near Three Points. That same day, a small tributary of Brawley
Wash coming out of the west-side of the Tucson Mountains experienced
a vehicle related fatality as a family attempting to cross
a swollen wash was forced to abandon their vehicle. The causative
event was a SHARS (Subtle Heavy Rainfall Signature) event.
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