Prepping in Tucson
Tucson's summers are long and brutally hot, and the monsoon turns dry washes into rivers in minutes. In 2020, the Bighorn Fire burned through the Catalinas above the city.
- Extreme heat
- Monsoon flash floods
- Wildfire
Sign up today
The official Tucson alert and lookup tools. Each takes a few minutes and works even if you do nothing else on this page.
- Pima County emergency alertsSign up for Pima County alerts
Pima County's free text and email alerts during emergencies, for people who live or work in the county.
Links checked October 2026. Wireless Emergency Alerts reach most phones automatically; these add local detail.
What can go wrong in Tucson
- Extreme heat
- Long stretches above 100°F make outages dangerous, especially for older adults.
- Monsoon flash floods
- Summer storms send water down washes and over low roads with little warning.
- Wildfire
- Fires in the Santa Catalina and Rincon mountains can force evacuations on the city's edges and fill the valley with smoke.
- Dust storms
- Monsoon winds raise walls of dust that cut visibility on highways.
What that means for your plan
Have a plan to stay cool without power, and keep two weeks of water.
Never drive into a flooded wash. Arizona's “stupid motorist law” can make you pay for your own rescue.
If a dust storm hits while you're driving, pull off the road, turn off your lights and keep your foot off the brake.
Do these first, in this order
- Two weeks of water
The first priority in the desert.
Water storage and filters guide - Power station
Fans and medical devices through summer outages.
Power stations and generators guide - Alerts
Pima County alerts plus a NOAA weather radio for flash floods.
Radios and communication guide - Go-bag with N95 masks
For fire evacuations and smoke.
Go-bags and evacuation guide - First-aid kit
Know the signs of heat illness.
First aid and medical guide - Car kit
Water and shade if you're stuck on the road in heat.
Go-bags and evacuation guide
Questions
How do I get emergency alerts in Tucson?
Sign up for Pima County's free emergency text and email alerts, and keep Wireless Emergency Alerts on.
What is Arizona's stupid motorist law?
It lets authorities charge drivers for the cost of their rescue if they drive around barricades into a flooded road.
How ready is your Tucson home?
The quiz weights every item for suburbs risks and shows your top gaps. About 3 minutes, no sign-up.