Highlights
- The National Weather Service issued a Flood Warning for Maricopa County at 12:49 a.m. Thursday, expiring at 3 a.m. MST.
- Between 2 and 4 inches of rain have fallen; flooding is already occurring across eight named streams and drainages.
- Phoenix, Glendale, Peoria, and Deer Valley Airport are among the locations expected to experience flooding.
- NWS warns most flood deaths occur in vehicles — do not drive on flooded roads.
FLOOD WARNING: The National Weather Service in Phoenix issued a Flood Warning for Maricopa County at 12:49 a.m. Thursday, September 17, effective until 3 a.m. MST, rating the event severe.
Gauge reports at 12:49 a.m. confirmed heavy rain from thunderstorms, with between 2 and 4 inches already on the ground. Flooding is actively occurring across eight named waterways: North Canyon Creek, Beardsley Canal, Agua Fria River, Cave Creek, Deadman Wash, Apache Wash, Skunk Creek, and New River. NWS says no additional rainfall is expected, but warns it will take several hours for water to work through urban drainage systems.
Locations expected to experience flooding include Phoenix, Glendale, Peoria, and Deer Valley Airport.
What should drivers do right now?
NWS instructs motorists to turn around and not attempt to cross flooded roads, noting that most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Extra caution is advised overnight, when flood dangers are harder to see. Full safety guidance is available at weather.gov/safety/flood.
The warning expires at 3 a.m. MST. Monitor NWS Phoenix for updates.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- api.weather.gov retrieved 17/09/2026 07:53
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 17/09/2026 07:53. Every claim traces to a source.
