Deadly monsoonal flooding claims 7 lives in Nogales and Tucson, Arizona

Monsoon flooding has claimed at least seven lives in southern Arizona as of July 20, 2026, according to local officials. At least six deaths were reported in Nogales, while a separate victim was found in the Santa Cruz River near the I-10 and I-19 interchange in the Tucson area.

Nogales officials said the first fatalities were reported July 16. Authorities later recovered the bodies of a man and a woman near Kilometer 22 along Interstate 19, followed by a third victim whose gender had not been identified.

In Pima County, deputies began searching July 17 for a man reported swept away by floodwaters in the Julian Wash area near Julian Drive and South Palo Verde Road. Rescue crews found his body in the Santa Cruz River on July 18 after water levels dropped. Officials said there were no signs of foul play, and the county medical examiner will determine the cause and manner of death.

The flood threat remained in place across southeastern Arizona through July 20. The National Weather Service warned that additional runoff could flood rivers, creeks, streams and other low lying areas, with a Flash Flood Watch issued for Cochise, Graham, Greenlee and Santa Cruz counties.