Monsoon storms muscled into the hills north of Phoenix on Tuesday night, unloading on Cave Creek and nearby Camp Creek and triggering a fast-moving flash flood warning that had the North Valley on alert. Doppler radar and local gauges picked up heavy, localized rain in the higher terrain, with forecasters warning it could send dangerous runoff racing into washes and low-lying roads.
The warning was issued at 8:45 p.m. MST and remained in effect until 11:15 p.m., according to the National Weather Service in Phoenix. At the time, Doppler radar and automated gauges indicated between 0.75 and 1.5 inches of rain had already fallen in the hills north of Cave Creek, with as much as another half-inch possible. Forecasters said flash flooding was either ongoing or expected to begin shortly.
Showers pushed into parts of the East Valley around 9 p.m., and storms were producing 20 to 30 mph wind gusts, according to NWS Phoenix, as reported by KTAR News 92.3 FM. That punchy mix of heavy rain and gusty winds primed the desert for quick runoff, with the potential for normally dry washes to fill fast and low-water crossings to become no-go zones.
Gauges Show Localized Heavy Totals
The Flood Control District of Maricopa County’s ALERT network registered more than an inch of rain at several hilltop gauges in and around the Camp Creek and Cave Creek watersheds, according to the Flood Control District of Maricopa County. Those localized downpours can take quiet, sandy washes and turn them into fast-moving channels, making rural roads and underpasses dangerous in a matter of minutes.
Safety And Travel Impacts
The NWS labeled the setup as a risk for “life threatening flash flooding” and urged drivers to remember the old desert rule: when you see water across the road, turn around, do not try to power through it, according to the National Weather Service in Phoenix. Officials warned that creeks, urban drainage channels, highways and underpasses could all see rapid flooding and advised people to steer clear of standing water…