Tucson rain: Motorists rescued from flooded roads; boulders fall near Windy Point
The Pima County Sheriff's Department says it responded to 16 river rescues Sunday as of 3 p.m., as motorists tried to cross flooded roads or washes and got stuck.
Tucson Fire crews at one of seven water rescues they took part in Sunday in the metro area.
Tucson Fire Department
All were rescued without injury, a department spokeswoman says.
Of those water rescues, 12 were in the greater Tucson area on Sunday, the Tucson Fire Department says, adding that its crews responded to seven, including at South Yale Drive and East Fordham Drive, Calle Marte and Avenida Planeta, and the Alamo Wash at South Birch Avenue. "Thankfully, no injures were reported."
Tucson Fire crews at work on a water rescue Sunday.
Tucson Fire Department
Also, crews were working late Sunday afternoon to clear multiple boulders that fell near Windy Point on or near the Catalina Highway, though the highway remained open, the Sheriff's Department says.
Earlier in the day, the Sheriff's Department says, an Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter safely brought out a stranded hiker and rescue workers attending to him from Bear Canyon, where creeks — as in nearby Sabino Canyon — were rushing with fast-moving water.
Numerous roads in Pima County are closed due to the heavy rains and flooding. Check the latest closures at this hotline: 520-351-3351.
U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officers continue to assist stranded visitors at Sabino Canyon Recreation Area as floodwaters surge through the popular Tucson destination following heavy rainfall Sunday, Nov. 1. The Forest Service is warning visitors not to attempt to cross washes or canyons during or immediately after rainstorms. Conditions can change rapidly, and rising water can create dangerous situations. Video taken at Sabino Dam in the Coronado National Forest on Nov. 1, 2026. Video: U.S. Forest Service – Coronado National Forest
"Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads," the National Weather Service warns. "Most flood deaths occur in vehicles." The Tucson Fire Department adds, "Water can be deeper and faster-moving than it appears, and it only takes a small amount of moving water to sweep a vehicle away."
A U.S. Postal Service vehicle was among those that got stuck in floodwaters Sunday, as shown in this photo posted on Facebook by the Tucson Fire Department.
Tucson Fire Department
The Mount Lemmon Hotel posted a video Sunday showing what it called "more water than we have ever seen at Seven Cataracts Waterfall in the Santa Catalina Mountains on Mt. Lemmon," and described 4-5 inches of rain falling on the mountain in the 24 hours between noon Saturday and noon Sunday.