Enter any address in Pima County, Arizona to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms dominates Pima County's flood events, with 521 occurrences recorded in the last 30 years, resulting in 20 fatalities. General flooding events were less frequent, with 43 recorded instances and one fatality. Recent heavy rainfall events, such as those in October 2025, brought significant moisture from tropical storms, leading to severe thunderstorms that caused hail, uprooted trees, and power outages in the Tucson Metro area.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows a variety of flood zones with associated claim payouts and water depths. Zone A experienced 268 claims with an average payout of $14,031 and an average water depth of 3.0 feet. Zone X, surprisingly, had higher average payouts ($15,687) and water depths (7.8 feet) across 120 claims, despite typically representing moderate flood risk. Homeowners in Zone A, and those in any zone with a history of claims and significant water depth, should pay close attention to their flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
132 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Pima County, Arizona has recorded 564 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 521 flash floods and 43 river or area floods. The county has received 15 federal disaster declarations, 8 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1966–2020)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Big Horn Fire | Fire | Jun 11, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jul 25, 2006 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Aspen Fire | Fire | Jun 17, 2003 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding | Flood | Jan 5, 1993 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Flood | Jul 8, 1990 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Flood | Sep 23, 1983 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Flood | Dec 21, 1978 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 31, 2025 | 0.50K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 25, 2025 | 30.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 25, 2025 | 1.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 22, 2025 | 0.50K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 22, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 18, 2025 | 30.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 17, 2025 | 0.50K |
| Flood | Jul 16, 2025 | 1.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 16, 2025 | 1.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 16, 2025 | 5.00K |
Flash Flood — Jul 31, 2025
Thunderstorms were slow moving and allowed for heavy rainfall to cause flash flooding in Saint David and Arivaca, AZ where running washed flowed over roadways.
Flash Flood — Sep 25, 2025
Severe thunderstorms moved across Southeastern Arizona causing strong winds, hail ranging from 0.75 to 1.0 inches in diameter, and locally heavy rainfall that led to flash flooding. A swift water rescue occurred near Tombstone involving 5 individuals with no injuries. Additionally, an estimated 8 to 12 inches of water flowed underneath the Bowie underpass roadway shown on webcam.
Flash Flood — Aug 25, 2025
Strong to severe thunderstorms moved northwest through Southeastern Arizona the afternoon and evening of August 25th. These storms caused the formation of a dust storm that decreased visibilities to less than 0.25 miles, caused damage to utility equipment causing power outages for an estimated total of 1283 customers, and caused damage to a roof. Additionally, the heavy rainfall from the thunde...
Flash Flood — Jul 22, 2025
Thunderstorms moved northward through Pima and Cochise counties and produced heavy rainfall with reported totals ranging from 0.10 to 1.0 inches. The heavy rainfall closed multiple roadways in Tucson, Saint David, Tombstone, and Sierra Vista.
Flash Flood — Sep 18, 2025
Thunderstorms moved through the Tucson Metro area on the evening of September 18th and produced locally heavy rainfall that caused washes to flow with water. Two swift water rescues occurred along the Alamo wash due to people attempting to cross in their cars. In both cases, all of the people were rescued with no injuries. The thunderstorms produced outflow winds strong enough to loft areas of ...
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Pima County, Arizona:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Pima County, Arizona that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.