Storm hits Southern Arizona; multiple swift water rescues reported across Tucson

Sunday’s storm turned normally passable roads and washes across Tucson into dangerous flood zones, prompting as many as 12 swift water rescues across the greater Tucson area. The Tucson Fire Department responded to seven of those incidents, including several involving drivers trapped in vehicles as water rose around them. For residents commuting across the Eastside, the incidents offered a stark reminder that a flooded roadway can become impassable within minutes, even when the water does not initially appear deep.

The National Weather Service reported that some parts of Southern Arizona received as much as 2 inches of rain within only a few hours during the early afternoon. Tucson Fire urged people to avoid driving through flooded roads and washes, warning that moving water can be deeper and faster than it looks and can sweep away a vehicle with relatively little force. Anyone encountering a flooded roadway was advised to turn around and find another route rather than attempting to cross.

One rescue occurred near Wilmot Road and East 22nd Street, where a sedan became stuck in a flooded wash. Neighbors told KGUN they saw the vehicle get caught as the water rose. Fire crews reached the driver and brought the person out safely. At another scene near Escalante Road and Sarnoff Drive, conditions became serious enough that city crews closed the road after completing a rescue. The closure was intended to keep additional drivers from trying to pass through the flooded area.

A viewer provided images of another rescue near Lee Street and Sonotia Avenue, where first responders pulled a driver from a vehicle and moved the person to safety. The incidents came as rain continued across Southern Arizona and the broader Southwest, with emergency officials monitoring washes, drainage systems and waterways that can continue rising after the heaviest rain has passed. No injuries or deaths were reported in the broader Arizona flooding account, although officials in other communities were assisting residents forced from their homes.

The Tucson flooding was part of a much larger regional weather event. Aaron Hardin, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Tucson, said the region was receiving the equivalent of two or three months of rain over a period of several days. The latest round of rain began Saturday evening and was expected to continue affecting the region through Monday, with the weather service estimating that some areas could receive as much as 4 inches. Flood watches and warnings covered nearly all of Arizona, along with portions of southern Utah, southwestern Colorado, western New Mexico and southern Nevada.

Other Arizona communities faced more severe flooding and evacuation orders. In Sedona, residents near Oak Creek were ordered to leave as water rose and people became trapped in homes. Yavapai County and Camp Verde issued similar orders for neighborhoods near swollen creeks and rivers. Officials in Gila County ordered the evacuation of Gisela, a small community along Tonto Creek. State air rescue crews assisted with rooftop evacuations, while transportation crews worked to remove debris from highways that had been closed by the storm.

The flooding also disrupted Flagstaff, where rain fell through much of Sunday and overwhelmed storm drains. Several roads were closed, and flooding reached Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, where people used sandbags to limit additional water entering the building. In Pagosa Springs, Colorado, residents were warned of potentially catastrophic flooding as the San Juan River was forecast to rise above levels associated with the devastating 1911 flood. Roads into and out of town were closed, and residents near several rivers were told to evacuate or stay home. Sewage had also been discharged into the San Juan River, prompting officials to warn people to avoid contact with the water.

The storm system was expected to move east after leaving the Southwest, bringing additional hazards across the country during the week. Forecasts called for severe thunderstorms, damaging winds and heavy rain in parts of the Central and Southern Plains, followed by rain and strong winds in the Upper Midwest, Great Lakes, Mid Atlantic and Northeast. In the Southwest, colder air was expected to bring heavy snow to higher mountain elevations, with the possibility of more than a foot in some ranges. For Tucson, the immediate forecast called for conditions to improve Monday afternoon, but the weekend’s rescues underscored the need to avoid washes and flooded streets whenever heavy rain returns.