1983 — Sep 29 to Oct 3, Storms, prolonged heavy rain and flooding, AZ — 15
— 15 Blanchard tally from locality breakouts below.
— 15 Dead/missing. AP. “Flood-scarred counties ruled disaster by Reagan.” Yuma Sun, 10-5-1983, 1.
— 13 NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 25, No. 9, Sep 1983, p. 6.
—>12 UPI (Edward B. Havens). “The worst floods in Arizona in the 20th century…” 10-3-1983.
Breakout of deaths by locality.
— 1 Maricopa County, greater Phoenix area, Sep 29. Female; storm-related auto accident.[1]
— 2 Mohave County, near Oatman, Sep 30. Navy jet crashed “in a storm-related accident.”[2]
— 1 Pima County, Santa Cruz River near Marana, Oct 1. Man drowned when truck stalled.[3]
— 2 Pima County, near Marana. Dept. of Public Safety helicopter crashed on rescue mission.[4]
— 1 Pima County, Tanque Verde Wash east of Tucson, Oct 1. Truck swept away; flood water.[5]
— 1 Pinal Co., Santa Cruz river ~Casa Grande, Oct 2. Male, 37, swept away; taking pictures.[6]
— 2 Pinal Co., Gila Riv. ~Sacaton, 3rd. Taxi driver and passenger (males), trying to cross river.[7]
— 1 Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz River near Tubac Oct 4. Male drowning victim found.[8]
— 4 Yavapai County, Partridge Creek near Ash Fork, Sep 30. Family truck swept into creek.[9]
Narrative Information
NCDC: “FLOODING in ARIZONA on September 29 to October 3, 1983. From September 29th to October 3rd, much of the eastern two-thirds of Arizona received prolonged heavy rain, with much of the moisture supplied by Tropical Storm Octave. The result was Arizona’s most destructive flood. Major flooding occurred along rivers, creeks and washes in the southeastern quarter of the state where 8 counties were declared disaster areas by President Reagan. The flooding caused 13 deaths and an estimated $178 million damage to agriculture, home, business and public property.” (NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 25, No. 9, Sep 1983, p. 6.)
NCDC on Greater Phoenix/Maricopa County, Sep 9, 09:00-12:00 MST (1 death): “Extremely heavy rain caused extensive flooding of streets and highways with some flooding of homes and businesses. One underpass was filled with nine feet of water. Traffic was backed up for miles at a number of locations. There was a rash of traffic accidents because of the heavy rain and flooding. About forty injuries occurred and one woman was killed. Eight fires were started by lightning with $90,000 damage to one home. Hail up to one and one-half inch diameter fell in some sections.” (NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 25, No. 9, Sep 1983, p. 8.)
NCDC on Flash Flooding and Flooding, Eastern two-thirds (13 deaths): “Extended extremely heavy rains deluged most of this area of the state with two to ten inches, except ten to twelve inches in the Mt. Graham section, southwest of Safford. Most of the moisture originated with tropical storm Octave. Very destructive flooding occurred over the southeastern quarter of the state in broad zones along rivers, creeks and washes. This was the result of local inflow from these rains and from rains that occurred upstream in New Mexico on the Gila and San Francisco Rivers and in Mexico on the Santa Cruz and San Pedro Rivers. About 10,000 people were displaced from their residences. Water, mud and debris, severely damaged or destroyed over 1300 homes and about 1700 to a lesser degree. Many persons who fled from their homes were cut off from help because roads, bridges, phone and electric lines were washed away. Twenty main highways were closed, isolating dozens of towns. Interstate 10, the main link between Phoenix and Tucson, was washed out at the Gila River. Numerous people were rescued from rooftops and stranded cars by helicopters.
“In many communities water and sewer lines were broken, contaminating water supplies. In addition, many gas lines were severed. The hardest hit cities were: Clifton, Tucson, Marana, Nogales, Safford, Winkelman and Hayden. New record flows were set on the San Francisco at Clifton with an estimated 87,000 cfs; on the Gila at Safford with an estimated 125,000 cfs; on the Santa Cruz at Tucson with an estimated 45,000 cfs.” (NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 25, No. 9, Sep 1983, p. 8.)
Sources
Arizona Republic, Phoenix, AZ. “Body of drowning victim discovered south of… [unclear].” 11-1-1983, p. 30. Accessed 2-20-2017 at: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/121530191/
Associated Press, Tucson. “Battered state could receive still more rain.” The Yuma Daily Sun, AZ, 10-4-1983, p. 1. Accessed 2-20-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/us/arizona/yuma/yuma-sun/1983/10-04?tag
Associated Press, Tucson, AZ. “Death toll mounts in Arizona floods.” Galveston Daily News, TX, 10-3-1983, 10A. Accessed 2-20-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/us/texas/galveston/galveston-daily-news/1983/10-03/page-10?tag
Associated Press, Tucson. “Flood-scarred counties ruled disaster by Reagan.” The Yuma Daily Sun, 10-5-1983, p. 1. Accessed 2-20-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/us/arizona/yuma/yuma-sun/1983/10-05?tag
Associated Press, Tucson. “Floodwaters begin receding across Arizona.” Yuma Daily Sun, AZ, 10-3-1983, p. 1. Accessed 2-20-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/us/arizona/yuma/yuma-sun/1983/10-03?tag
National Climatic Data Center. Storm Data, Vol. 25, No. 9, September 1983, 24 pages. Asheville, NC: NCDC, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce. Accessed 2-18-2017 at: https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-EDC824EF-914B-4EDB-80BF-A661FA6DE858.pdf
United Press International (Edward B. Havens). “The worst floods in Arizona in the 20th century…” 10-3-1983. Accessed 2-20-2017 at: http://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/10/03/The-worst-floods-in-Arizona-in-the-20th-century/5697434001600/
[1] NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 25, No. 9, Sep 1983, p. 8; UPI/Edward B. Havens. “The worst floods in Arizona in the 20th century…” 10-3-1983.
[2] NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 25, No. 9, Sep 1983, p. 8. UPI writes on weather-related deaths: “…two Navy fliers whose plane crashed in a storm near Oatman…” (UPI/Edward B. Havens. “The worst floods in Arizona in the 20th century…” 10-3-1983.) Another report notes the plane was a bomber, writing “The Atlantic Fleet said Saturday that a Navy attack bomber crashed during a storm Friday night in the Black Mountains near the northwestern Arizona town of Oatman, killing both crewmen.” (Associated Press, Tucson, AZ. “Death toll mounts in Arizona floods.” Galveston Daily News, TX, 10-3-1983, 10A.)
[3] NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 25, No. 9, Sep 1983, p. 8. “A man was drowned on the 1st when his truck became stalled in the Santa Cruz River near Marana.
[4] UPI/Edward B. Havens. “The worst floods in Arizona in the 20th century…” 10-3-1983. Article also notes deaths of “two Navy fliers whose place crashed in a storm near Oatman.” An AP article notes: “The Department of Public Safety said a helicopter carrying pilot Thomas P. McNeff, 36, and paramedic Richard G. Stratman, crashed in floodwaters Sunday as it rushed to aid a woman having complications in childbirth in Catalina City. Floods had cut off all roads to Tucson, and the helicopter was to take the woman to a Tucson hospital.” Confirms they were both killed. (AP. “Death toll mounts in Arizona floods.” Galveston Daily News, TX, 10-3-1983. 10A.)
[5] NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 25, No. 9, Sep 1983, p. 8. “A man was drowned on the 1st when his truck became stalled and was swept down Tanque Verde Wash east of Tucson.”
[6] AP. “Floodwaters begin receding across Arizona.” Yuma Daily Sun, AZ, 10-3-1983. “An Apache Junction man, 37-year-old Greg McCalister, remained missing today after he was swept away while watching the flooding Santa Cruz River near Casa Grande on Sunday [Oct 2], said Pinal County sheriff’s officials.” A UPI account writes” “…officials also reported that another victim, Greg McCalister, 37, of Apache Junction was swept into the same river [Santa Cruz] Sunday as he took pictures of the rushing water.” (UPI/Edward B. Havens. “The worst floods in Arizona in the 20th century…” 10-3-1983.) Nov 1 Arizona Republic news report notes that the body of Greg McAlister had been located and recovered.
[7] NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 25, No. 9, Sep 1983, p. 8. “Two man, a taxi driver and a passenger, were drowned on the night of the 3rd trying to cross the Gila River near Sacaton.”
[8] NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 25, No. 9, Sep 1983, p. 8. “The body of a man was sighted on the 4th in the Santa Cruz River near Tubac.”
[9] NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 25, No. 9, Sep 1983, p. 8. “A father, mother and their two children were swept in their deaths by rising water of Partridge Creek, southwest of Ash Fork, when their truck became stalled on the 30th.”