25,806 residents·in Maricopa County·2,633 flood claims county-wide
From the National Weather Service, checked 3 minutes ago. Every active flood alert in the U.S. →
WHAT. Flooding caused by upstream dam releases continues.
WHERE. Maricopa County in south central Arizona...
WHEN. Until 200 AM MST Monday.
IMPACTS. Flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations is occurring. Low-water crossings are inundated with water and may not be passable.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS. - At 721 AM MST, upstream floodgate release from Tempe Town Lake and continued releases from Granite Reef Dam farther upstream has lead to flooding in the warned area. A US Army Corps of Engineers streamflow gauge on the Gila River showed the flow near Old US 80 was around 1900 cfs. Another automated gauge reported that the current pool elevation of Painted Rock Lake was around 571 feet. - Flooding is occurring along the Gila River. - Some locations that will experience flooding include... Goodyear, Painted Rock Dam, Liberty, Phoenix International Raceway and Arlington. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
What to do.
Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.
Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads.
WHAT. Flooding caused by upstream dam releases continues.
WHERE. Maricopa County in south central Arizona...
WHEN. Until 1100 PM MST Sunday.
IMPACTS. Flooding of the Salt River below Granite Reef Dam is occurring. Flooding of low water crossings across the Salt River upstream of Tempe Town Lake, including McKellips Road, is occurring.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS. - At 717 AM MST, dam operators reported around 1400 cfs was being released from Granite Reef Dam. Additionally, a streamflow gauge downstream of Granite Reef Dam measured a flow around 2000 cfs. Flooding due to a dam floodgate release will continue. - Some locations that will experience flooding include... Salt River between Granite Reef Dam and Tempe Town Lake. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
What to do.
Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.
Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads.
Flooding is occurring. It is important to know where you are relative to streams, rivers, or creeks. Campers and hikers should avoid streams or creeks.
WHAT. Flooding caused by upstream dam release continues.
WHERE. Maricopa County in south central Arizona...
WHEN. Until 1100 AM MST Saturday.
IMPACTS. Flooding of the Salt River is occurring. Recreation on or near the Salt River will be unsafe.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS. - At 920 PM MST, an upstream floodgate release at Bartlett Dam is causing flooding in the warned area. A streamflow gauge on the Verde River near the Salt River confluence measured a flow around 2130 cfs. - Flooding is occurring along the Salt River. - Some locations that will experience flooding include... Mainly recreational areas along the river around and downstream of the Verde and Salt River confluence. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
What to do.
Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.
Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads.
Flooding is occurring. It is important to know where you are relative to streams, rivers, or creeks. Campers and hikers should avoid streams or creeks.
WHAT. Flooding caused by upstream dam release continues.
WHERE. Maricopa County in south central Arizona...
WHEN. Until 1100 AM MST Saturday.
IMPACTS. Flooding of the Verde River between Fort McDowell and the Salt River is occurring. Recreation on or near the Verde River will be unsafe.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS. - At 919 PM MST, a streamflow gauge on the Verde River near the Salt River confluence measured a flow around 2130 cfs. - Some locations that will experience flooding include... Fort McDowell. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
What to do.
Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.
Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads.
Flooding is occurring. It is important to know where you are relative to streams, rivers, or creeks. Campers and hikers should avoid streams or creeks.
| River gauge | Now | Forecast |
|---|---|---|
| Gila River at Painted Rock Lake | Near flood stage (571.3 ft) | — |
Is your address in the flood zone? Search it above for FEMA’s zone and base flood elevation. A new flood insurance policy usually takes 30 days to start (NFIP rule; exceptions include a policy bought when closing a mortgage), so one bought during a flood generally won’t cover it. Homeowners policies don’t cover flood.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Sun City West CDP, Arizona. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
The map above shows FEMA’s flood zones in and around Sun City West CDP; tap any spot, or search an address, for the exact zone. FEMA’s flood insurance records are kept by county, not by city, so the numbers below are for all of Maricopa County, which includes Sun City West CDP.
8% of Maricopa County’s area is in FEMA’s high-risk flood zones, and another 51% in shaded X (mostly the 0.2% floodplain and areas behind levees).
28% of Maricopa County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
1,666 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In Maricopa County flood insurance claims that reported a flood depth, the average was 5 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on the county’s claims (zero and implausible values left out). Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 1978, with 317 claims and $2.1M paid, the year of Severe Storms & Flooding.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
Full Maricopa County flood history: disasters, storm reports and events →
If a building is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
The average NFIP premium across Arizona was $885 a year on August 31, 2026 (premium plus the federal policy fee; the reserve fund assessment and HFIAA surcharge come on top). Risk Rating 2.0 prices each building on its own flood risk, so a quote can be far from the average.
Outside the high-risk zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Quotes: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.