Flash Flood — La Paz, Arizona

2000-10-22 to 2000-10-23 · near Wenden, La Paz, Arizona

Event narrative

In the early morning hours of Sunday October 22, a large low pressure area dumped four to six inches of rain over parts of eastern LaPaz and western Maricopa County. This caused flash flooding in the upper part of the Centennial Wash between the Harcuvar and Harquahala mountain ranges. The heavy runoff flowed into the town of Wenden where water ran over the highway 60 bridge. At its peak the wash was about 3/8ths of a mile wide and 12 feet deep. The resulting high water surged through the town of Wenden with at least 400 residents evacuated. There was extensive damage to the town and for many miles downstream. The reported flow was in excess of 20,000 cfs. When the flood hit Wenden, it inundated some mobile homes, causing them to lift off their foundations and float down the wash. An estimated 125 mobile homes were affected. One migrant worker was killed when flood waters swept through the town during the early morning hours. Additional heavy rainfall hit this area several days later and complicated relief efforts for many of the homeless.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5158231. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.