Highlights
- NWS Phoenix issued a Flash Flood Warning for Maricopa County at 1:44 p.m. Wednesday, expiring at 4:45 p.m.
- Doppler radar showed 0.5 to 1 inch of rain already fallen, with 1 to 2 more inches possible within the hour.
- Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Indian Bend Wash, and the Salt River are among the named affected areas.
- NWS advises drivers to turn around and avoid flooded roads, noting most flood deaths occur in vehicles.
<p>FLASH FLOOD WARNING: The National Weather Service in Phoenix issued a Flash Flood Warning for Maricopa County Wednesday afternoon, effective at 1:44 p.m. MST and running until 4:45 p.m. MST, with flash flooding described as ongoing or expected to begin shortly.</p> <p>Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area as of 1:44 p.m. Between 0.5 and 1 inch of rain had already fallen, and the NWS warned that rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour are expected, with an additional 1 to 2 inches possible before the warning expires.</p> <p>Named locations facing flash flood risk include Phoenix, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Camelback Mountain, Scottsdale Airport, Piestewa Peak Park, and <a href="/entity/downtown/">Downtown</a> Scottsdale. Affected waterways include the Salt River, Indian Bend Wash, and Cave Creek. The NWS identified impacts as flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets, underpasses, and other low-lying or poor-drainage areas.</p> <p>The NWS advises: turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Drivers are urged to avoid flooded roads entirely.</p> <p>The <a href="https://alert.fcd.maricopa.gov/alert/Google/v3/mcdot.html">MCDOT Flooded Roadway Map</a> provides real-time road condition updates for Maricopa County. The warning expires at 4:45 p.m. MST Wednesday.</p>
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 16/09/2026 20:48
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 16/09/2026 20:48. Every claim traces to a source.
