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National Weather Service Forecast Office
Tucson, Arizona
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Cyclone: Hurricane Marty
Date it affected AZ: September 23-25, 2003
Affected Arizona as...: Remnants (dissipated over northern Gulf of California, Mexico)
 
Marty could have been a dangerous storm since it followed a path similar to Hurricane Katrina in 1967 up the entire Gulf of California over very warm water. However, as he moved into much drier air aloft over the northern Gulf of California, Marty gradually weakened as he closed in on southwest Arizona. The storm made it into the northern Gulf of California as a tropical storm, but weakened into a depression and eventually dissipated as it meandered near Puerto Peñasco. Small stream flooding occurred over western Pima County and the Tohono O'odham Nation, but no serious flash flooding was reported. Rainfall amounts were generally in the 1 to 2.5 inch range was observed, with heavier amounts between Lukeville, AZ, and Puerto Peñasco, Sonora.
 
Image of Hurricance Marty track. Close up image of Hurricane Marty track
   
Image of rainfall produced by Hurricane Marty across Mexico and the southwest United States
Image courtesy of Hydrometeorological Prediction Center (http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov)