The long-awaited monsoon season made a dramatic entrance late Monday afternoon with a powerful storm that caused widespread power outages and significant rainfall in Tucson and elsewhere in Pima County.
Thousands of residents were left without power as the storm knocked down power lines and uprooted trees.
Tucson Electric Power reported that over 13,500 customers were affected by the outages.
Among the hardest-hit areas were La Encantada shopping center, 2905 E. Skyline Drive, and its surrounding neighborhoods; the area around the Westin La Paloma on Sunrise Drive; and the Swan Road/Sunrise Drive area, where residents were left in the dark.
Outages extended from Fort Lowell and Swan northward to East Skyline Drive in the Foothills. Some other affected areas were between Kolb and Camino Seco from 22nd Street in the south to Speedway in the north.
Outages were also reported east of Pantano and south of Golf Links, as well as at Speedway and Craycroft.
TEP advises customers to report any outages and stay away from downed power lines for their safety, especially in areas where crews are working to restore power. Contact TEP at (520) 623-7711 to report outages or for more information on efforts to restore power. The utility's outage map is atΒ tep.com/outages.Β
The July 17 storm brought relief from the scorching heat that Tucson and most of the state has experienced in recent weeks.
While hot temperatures are expected to persist through the week, the storm's arrival signals the likelihood of continued storm activity in the coming days.
According to the National Weather Service, the rainfall during the storm varied across Pima County.
Some notable rainfall measurements included 1.89 inches at Empire Mountain, 1.72 inches in the Foothills at Sunrise Drive and Swan Road, 1.50 inches in Oro Valley at the Big Wash and Rancho V recording station, and 1.48 inches in Tucson at Glenn and Craycroft.
The average rainfall across Pima County during the storm was approximately 0.47 inches, according to Arizona Daily Star estimates using weather service reports.
The rainfall event marked the third latest date for measurable rainfall in the monsoon season at Tucson International Airport, where the city's official weather stats are recorded.
Residents are advised to stay vigilant and prepared as the monsoon season continues. The weather service encourages residents to monitor weather updates and take necessary precautions during severe weather events.
Earlier in the day, the weather service extended the excessive heat warning for Cochise, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz and Yavapai counties until July 21, and for Coconino, La Paz, Mohave, and Yuma counties until July 22.
The Tucson area saw heavy wind, hail and rain Monday afternoon as the 2023 monsoon kicked off.
By 6 p.m., the Rillito River had been brought back to life after weeks of excessive, dry heat. This clip shows the river just west of North Campbell Avenue.
