Flash Flood — Coconino, Arizona

2010-10-03 · near Havasupai, Coconino, Arizona

Event narrative

Supai Police reported a two foot wall of water moving down Hualapai Canyon toward the Village of Supai. The Suapi USGS river gage reported a peak flow of about 600 CFS at around 500 PM. Flash flooding was reported in the campground at around 320 PM. This flood water may have been from side canyons and from Havasu Creek. Campers, 143 in all, in the campground were air lifted to safety. Three tribal pack animals were killed by the flash flood. The canyon was closed to tourists indefinitely due to the damages caused to the trail and campground. The President of the United States declared the Havasupai Canyon a major disaster area and ordered Federal aid to supplement State, Tribal, and local recovery efforts. The estimated cost to replace and repair the damaged or destroyed infrastructure is $1,630,000.

Wider weather episode

A low pressure circulation over southern California ejected northeast over Arizona in response to a much stronger trough of low pressure moving eastward over the Pacific Ocean. The ejecting low brought increasing moisture, lift, and dynamics over northern Arizona which produced scattered thunderstorms with heavy rain and quarter sized hail.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (36.2200, -112.6900)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 261087. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.