It was your typical Labor Day weekend in 1970 - Arizonians hit the road all over the state, crowding campsites and jumping in the nearest lake.
Timing is everything and timing would be the legacy of Arizona's deadliest storm on record.
While many were far from home enjoying their holiday weekend outdoors, a nasty storm, dubbed the "Labor Day Storm," soaked in tropical moisture would strike.
Drenching downpours developed that day, drawing upon waterlogged Tropical Storm Norma, which was off the tip of Baja California, according to National Weather Service records.
The heavy rain turned to fierce floodwaters that overtook campsites, swept away trailers, campers and automobiles.
The floods killed 23 people, making it the deadliest storm Arizona has ever known to this day.
During the "Labor Day Storm," the Tonto Creek Basin was a death trap for 15 people as the floodwaters surged through their campgrounds along Tonto and Christopher Creeks.
Flooding was the worst on the Tonto, Sycamore, Oak and Beaver Creeks and the East Verde and Hassayampa Rivers.
The higher country of central Arizona was hardest hit with gauges filling up with 5-8" of rainfall. One station collected 11.40 inches of rain in just 24 hours, setting an all-time record for rain in Arizona.
Many structures, roads and bridges buckled from the blow of the record flooding.
The damage totaled $5.8 million. Keep in mind, that was in 1970. Even then, that's nothing compared to the lives that were lost.
