DisasterAtlasUSA

This is a record of past federal disaster declarations, not a forecast. Federal assistance figures are aid obligated under specific programs, not total damages. For current threats, check the National Weather Service and FEMA.

Home / Storms / Arizona

Flash FloodCoconino, Arizona

September 11, 1997 · NOAA Storm Events record

Direct deaths
2
Direct injuries
1
Property damage
Area
Coconino

Event narrative (NOAA)

A Flash Flood on Phantom Creek killed two people and injured a third person. Runoff from the heavy rain associated with a thunderstorm several miles north of the flash flood site caught the three people as they were crossing Phantom Creek. All three attempted to save themselves by crouching behind a large boulder, but chest-deep water carried them downstream. The bodies of the two who were killed were found several weeks later, miles downstream in the Colorado River. The survivor was carried one quarter mile down Phantom Creek then another quarter mile down Bright Angel Creek before he was able to escape and hike out of the canyon.

Other notable flash flood events in Arizona

Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database. Deaths and injuries are those NOAA classifies as direct. Damage is the reporting office's estimate at the time and is not inflation-adjusted. This is a catalogue record, not a forecast.

Flash Flood — Coconino, Arizona, September 11, 1997 | DisasterAtlasUSA