Flood — Upper Gila River Valley, Arizona

2000-10-22 to 2000-10-23 · Upper Gila River Valley, Arizona

Event narrative

Secondary roads between Safford and Solomon were barricaded due to high water levels. The Gila River near Solomon reached highest level of 13.8 feet at 1 am on the 23rd. The flood stage is 17 feet. The San Francisco River at Clifton reached highest water levels of 19.4 feet at 1pm on the 23rd. The flood stage is 23 feet. As standard procedure the flood gates were tested. The Blue River just north of Clifton reached highest water levels of 13.8 feet at 9 am on the 23rd. The flood stage is 15 feet. In higher elevations the precipitation fell in the form of snow. Highway 366 received 2 to 5 inches of snow.

Wider weather episode

Following quickly after the storm system on the 19th, the third major storm system was unusually powerful for mid October. Accompanying the system was a 160kt 300mb jet which helped tilt the system before closing off south of San Diego on the 22nd. Dramatic height falls in an area of high precipitable water values caused widespread precipitation. The 700mb winds were from the south at 30 to 40kts. The low became nearly stationary over the northernmost part of Baja Peninsula on the 22nd. Rainfall rates of one inch per hour fell for several hours over Northern Sonora. The heaviest rain in the valleys were associated with the deformation zone passing aloft. The mountains in Greenlee, Graham, and Pima counties also received several inches of snow. By the evening of the 22nd the low began to lift north into western Arizona.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5161486. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.