In late July 2006, southeastern Arizona was deluged by rain during a rare meteorological event that lasted for five days. Heavy precipitation saturated soils and led to extensive runoff in the latter days of the event. Hundreds of small-volume debris-flows cascaded valley-ward in the surrounding Santa Catalina Mountains and other ranges of SE Arizona. Flash floods formed in local drainages, such as the Santa Cruz River pictured here roaring through downtown Tucson.
According to USGS, the gaging station at Cortaro Road in Tucson, had a peak discharge of 40,900 cubic feet per second, the 2nd highest flood on record.
