Flooding in Phoenix, Arizona: the monsoon record and what to do
Phoenix gets little rain, but it gets it all at once. Most of the city's flood insurance claims come from a handful of summer storms that dropped more water than the streets and washes could carry.
FEMA counts 1,294 National Flood Insurance Program claims in the City of Phoenix, and 921 of them, 71.2 per cent, are for losses in July, August or September. The worst single day was 8 September 2014, when Sky Harbor recorded the most rain on any calendar day since 1895 and FEMA logged 94 claims in the city. More than a third of the claims with a recorded flood zone were for buildings outside the high-risk zone. This page sets out how the city floods, where the claims are concentrated, and what owners and renters can do.
The short version
- FEMA records 1,294 flood insurance claims in the City of Phoenix, 921 of them, 71.2 per cent, for losses in July, August or September.
- The worst day on record was 8 September 2014: 3.30 inches at Sky Harbor, the most on a calendar day since 1895, and 94 claims in the city.
- Of claims with a recorded flood zone, 37.6 per cent were for buildings outside the high-risk zone.
- Claims cluster in central and north-central ZIP codes, led by 85021, 85018, 85014 and 85013.
- Arizona law lets agencies bill drivers who go around a barricade onto a flooded road for their rescue.
What the flood insurance record shows
FEMA's OpenFEMA claims data, current to 8 September 2026, show 1,294 National Flood Insurance Program claims filed under the City of Phoenix community since 1978. The record is weighted to the past: 878 of those claims are for losses between 1978 and 1995, and the heaviest year was 1990, with 139. Since 2000 there have been 393, and since 2010, 267. The busiest days were 8 September 2014 with 94 claims, 24 July 1992 with 78, 29 July 1981 with 74 and 14 October 1988 with 50. More recently a storm on 2 August 2016 produced 33 claims. FEMA's multiple-loss records, as of 21 October 2026, list 58 Phoenix properties that have flooded more than once, 2 of them classed as severe repetitive loss.
A summer flood, not a winter one
Most of the year Phoenix barely floods at all. Of the 1,294 claims, 348 are for losses in July, 337 in August and 236 in September, which together make 921, or 71.2 per cent. October adds 114 more, 50 of them from a single storm on 14 October 1988. Winter accounts for most of the rest, with 80 claims in March and 65 in February. June, the hottest and driest month, has just 3. For a Phoenix household the practical point is timing. Check drainage, gutters and the ground around the house before July, not after the first storm has already arrived.
The day the record fell: 8 September 2014
The National Weather Service Phoenix office describes a plume of tropical moisture associated with Hurricane Norbert moving into the region on 7 September 2014. The next morning Sky Harbor recorded 3.30 inches of rain over about seven hours, the most rain on a calendar day since records began in 1895, and some Chandler locations recorded close to 6 inches. By daybreak Interstate 10 was impassable at 43rd Avenue and numerous underpasses along US 60 were under water. The weather service lists flooding across the East Valley, central Phoenix and the West Valley. FEMA's claims data show 94 Phoenix claims dated 8 September and 8 more on 7 September, making 2014 the city's heaviest claim year since 1992.
Where in the city the claims are
The claims are concentrated in the older central and north-central parts of the city rather than spread evenly. By the ZIP code reported on each claim, 85021 has the most, with 147, followed by 85018 with 118, 85014 and 85013 with 95 each, and 85015 with 91. 85008 follows with 70. The multiple-loss list points the same way: 12 of the 58 Phoenix properties that have flooded more than once are in 85008, and 7 are in 85018. A ZIP code is only a rough guide. For any single building, only the FEMA Flood Map Service Center can say which zone applies.
Outside the flood zone is not the same as safe
FEMA records the rated flood zone for 1,150 of the Phoenix claims. Of those, 432, or 37.6 per cent, were for buildings in zones B, C or X, the moderate and minimal risk zones where a lender does not require flood insurance. Another 43 were in zones AO and AH, the zones FEMA uses for shallow flooding, usually sheet flow across open ground. The Flood Control District of Maricopa County makes the same point in its monsoon guidance, encouraging residents in or near a mapped floodplain to insure. A standard homeowners policy does not cover flood, and FEMA states that a new flood policy normally takes 30 days to begin, so buying one when a storm is forecast is too late for that storm.
Washes, roads and the stupid motorist law
Phoenix drains through a network of washes that are dry most of the year. The Flood Control District warns that runoff moves quickly through them, even in places downstream where no rain has fallen, and that many washes cross roads. Its guidance is that six inches of moving water can sweep a person off their feet and two feet can float a truck or SUV. Arizona puts a price on ignoring the barricades. Under Arizona Revised Statutes section 28-910, a driver who goes around a barricade onto a flooded road and stalls can be billed for the cost of the emergency response needed to get them out. Turn around and find another way.
If water is already inside
Keep out of standing water until the power to that part of the building is off, and treat water that has come in from the street or up through a drain as contaminated. Photograph everything before it is moved, then start getting the water out and the building dry. Wet drywall, carpet pad and cabinets that are left closed up can develop mold, so the drying matters as much as the extraction. If the water came from outside, it is a flood loss and only a flood policy covers it; if it came from a burst pipe, a water heater or a roof leak during a storm, your homeowners policy decides. Whether a particular loss is paid is decided by your insurer and your policy wording.
Common questions
Does Phoenix, AZ flood?
Yes, mostly in summer storms. FEMA counts 1,294 flood insurance claims in the city, and 71.2 per cent of them are for losses in July, August or September, when monsoon thunderstorms drop heavy rain in a short time on ground that sheds it fast.
Do I need flood insurance in Phoenix if I am not in a flood zone?
It is worth considering. Of the Phoenix claims with a recorded flood zone, 37.6 per cent were for buildings in the moderate and minimal risk zones B, C and X, where flood insurance is not required. A new policy normally takes 30 days to begin.
What was the worst flood in Phoenix?
By rainfall and by claims in recent decades, 8 September 2014. Sky Harbor recorded 3.30 inches over about seven hours, the most on a calendar day since records began in 1895, and FEMA logged 94 flood insurance claims in the city that day.
Which parts of Phoenix have the most flood claims?
By reported ZIP code, 85021 leads with 147 claims, followed by 85018 with 118, and 85014 and 85013 with 95 each. Check a specific address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center.
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