FloodZoneMap.org

Flash Flood — Maricopa, AZ

Sep 23, 2019

Copious amounts of tropical moisture spread north and into south-central Arizona during the morning hours on September 23rd, leading to widespread showers and thunderstorms. Some of the stronger storms generated intense rain with peak rain rates between 1 and 2 inches per hour. Storms and heavy persisted through the afternoon and into the evening and resulted in several episodes of flash flooding across the central deserts to the west and northwest of Phoenix. Multiple stream gauges from the Mar

Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database (event 850965). Narrative written by NWS staff at the time of the event.

Flood Risk Context for Maricopa, AZ

This event is one of many recorded floods in Maricopa County. See the full FEMA flood zone map, NFIP claim totals, and disaster history for the area.

View Maricopa County flood data →

More Flood Stories

Flash Flood2 deaths$10K damage

Maricopa, AZ · Aug 22, 2020

A severe warned thunderstorm pushed west from southern Gila county into eastern Maricopa county in the late evening, after sunset. The storm produced very heavy rainfall over the southern end of the 2020 Bush fire burn scar in the Four Peaks Wilderness area.

Read the full account →
Flash Flood2 deaths$25.0M damage

Maricopa, AZ · Aug 14, 2021

A classic bow echo developed along the Mogollon Rim in central Arizona around 1900MST on the 13th and merged with thunderstorm clusters that developed in south-central Arizona around 2030MST to form one southwestward-moving MCS that progressed all the way to the town of Yuma in…

Read the full account →
Flash Flood2 deaths$20K damage

Maricopa, AZ · Aug 18, 2021

An upper level trough and lead-on shortwave trough moved through Arizona during the day on the 18th. Moderate to high instability and high moisture content supported scattered strong thunderstorms.

Read the full account →
Flood2 deaths

Maricopa, AZ · Apr 1, 2023

Snowmelt runoff from the anomalous amounts of snow over the Arizona high terrain led to continued elevated flows in the Salt and Verde River watersheds.

Read the full account →