Arizona Flash Flood Safety: Why You Should Turn Around
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Arizona flash floods can transform a dry wash or familiar road in minutes. Water depth, road damage, and current speed are difficult to judge from inside a vehicle.
Do not drive into floodwater
Ready.gov and the National Weather Service give the same basic message: Turn Around, Don't Drown. Roads can be washed out beneath moving water even when the surface looks manageable.
Moving water is more powerful than it looks
About 6 inches of fast-moving water can knock a person down, and roughly 1 foot of moving water can sweep a vehicle away. Arizona-specific National Weather Service guidance likewise warns that relatively shallow moving water can float vehicles.
Do not walk through floodwater either
Floodwater can hide debris, unstable ground, contamination, and electrical hazards.
Never drive around a barricade
Barricades may be protecting a washed-out road, fast-moving water, or a crossing that is becoming unsafe. Find another route rather than testing the depth yourself.
If flooding is already developing around you
Move toward higher ground when it is safe to do so and follow local emergency instructions. If you are trapped or in immediate danger, call 911 rather than attempting an uncertain crossing.
No shortcut or schedule is worth gambling against moving water.
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Sources and further reading: Ready.gov — Floods and National Weather Service Tucson — Monsoon Safety. Educational information only; follow local warnings and emergency instructions during flooding.