Flash Flood — Pima, Arizona

2022-07-31 · near Casas Adobes, Pima, Arizona

Event narrative

Heavy rain of 1.5-2.5 fell in less than 1 hour over the Finger Rock Canyon watershed with 2.29 recorded in 30 minutes at the Mt. Kimball gauge near the headwaters, which was in the severe burn area of the 2020 Bighorn Fire burn scar. Finger Rock Wash rose over 14 feet at a downstream gauge at the mouth of the canyon. Residents of seven homes and 12 people from another which was used as an assisted living facility were evacuated due to as much as 3 feet of water inside the structures. Most of the structures will be purchased by the county and torn down. Several of the roads in the area were washed out and the wash structure itself was damaged.

Wider weather episode

Scattered thunderstorms moved northwest across southeast Arizona during the afternoon and evening. Heavy rain over the Bighorn Fire burn scar resulted in flash flooding in Finger Rock Canyon. Several homes and an assisted living facility were flooded in the Catalina Foothills. Flash flooding also occurred in Nogales and in western Pima County. Large hail and isolated wind damage were observed in parts of the Tucson Metro area.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (32.3243, -110.8996)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1050296. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.