A fierce monsoon storm hit Tucson on Saturday evening with a bang, some booms and many, many buckets of rain.
The storm flooded streets in and outside of the city, knocked down power poles and electrical lines, and stranded motorists who tried to cross raging washes. It even spurred a tornado warning near Oracle Junction and some funnel-cloud sightings north and east of town.
An unusually heavy rain drenched the city, especially downtown and midtown. Some areas of midtown received more than an inch and a half of rain, while areas on the northwest, east and south sides received more than 2 inches of rain, the Pima County Regional Flood Control District said Saturday night.
The Tucson International Airport received 1.25 inches, said Gary Zell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tucson. Wind gusts at the airport reached 66 mph, Zell said.
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About 25,000 people lost power as the storm caused widespread damage to Tucson Electric Power's equipment. The Tucson Fire Department evacuated a trailer park near East Drexel and South Country Club roads after a power pole fell onto a trailer, said Capt. Jeff Langejans, a Fire Department spokesman.
Tucson police officers shut down several flooded surface streets and responded to numerous reports of downed power lines, authorities said. Officers stood in intersections without power and directed traffic throughout the evening.
On the northwest side, Northwest Fire District crews responded to three swift-water rescue calls, said Capt. Adam Goldberg. Two of the rescues occurred in the same wash - near the 3800 block of West Goret Road in the Tucson Mountains.
Northwest firefighters rescued a motorcyclist in the 9400 block of North Hartman Lane, bringing the man to safety using a rope and flotation device.
There were a couple of crashes on Interstate 10 between Orange Grove and Ina roads due to hydroplaning. One person was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
This late monsoon season isn't over yet, meteorologists said. There is a 10 percent chance of more rain in Tucson today and a 30 percent tonight. Daytime temperatures will range from the low to mid-90s, with lows in the 70s.
Contact reporter Jamar Younger at jyounger@azstarnet.com or 573-4115.
