Event narrative (NOAA)
Following 2 to 4 inches of rain in 1 to 2 hours over the Sand Tank Wash watershed, catastrophic flooding occurred in the small town of Gila Bend with feet of water, mud, and debris moving through town. Storm surveys were completed by NWS Phoenix, Maricopa County Department of Emergency Management (MCDEM), American Red Cross, and Flood Control District of Maricopa County (FCDMC). FCDMC gages on Sand Tank Wash, Bender Wash, and in the Maricopa Mountains measured rainfall amounts around 3 to 4 inches in 1 to 2 hours for an annual exceedance probability of 0.1%. FCDMC found the most significant floodwaters were within Sand Tank Wash, with lesser flows in Bender and Scott Avenue Washes. The NWS Phoenix survey found evidence of out of bank flooding in Sand Tank Wash 1 to 3 miles south of Interst
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.