The U.S. state of Arizona experiences four tornadoes on average each year. Tornadoes in Arizona are usually weak, F0 to F1 range; EF0 and EF1 Enhanced Fujita scale range. However, Arizona exceptionally experiences rare significant events. Including a F2 tornado in Pima that killed 2 people in 1964, and another deadly F2 tornado event in Pima in 1974 that killed a man. Arizona has experienced 5 (E)F3 tornadoes through out the years, and during October 6, 2010. A tornado outbreak produced two EF3 rated tornadoes and 5 other tornadoes. Over 200 tornadoes we're reported in Arizona and there are over 100 injuries related to tornadoes in the state.
Each year on average, four tornadoes touch down in Arizona. However, the state's most prolific year was in 1972 and 2010, when the state experienced 17tornadoes. Tornadoes in Arizona are also more likely to happen during monsoon season, which is usually July, August or September, but tornadoes can still happen in any month in Arizona. Due to the many rural areas of Arizona, its possible that unreported tornadoes have appeared. The most likely tornado to happen in Arizona are non-supercell tornadoes, which is typically a landspout.[1][2]
This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by editing the page to add missing items, with references to reliable sources.
July 25, 1956 – Two tornadoes struck Maricopa County, the first being an unrated tornado causing $0.25 in property damage. The second being a F0 near Phoenix.[9][10]
July 22, 1961 – An F1 tornado struck Maricopa County leaving $25k in damage.
July 27, 1961 – An F1 tornado struck Pima County, injuring one person. The tornado caused at least $250K in damage.[24]
September 8, 1961 – An F1 tornado struck Maricopa County injuring two people. The tornado caused at least $250.00K in damage.[25]
July 26, 1962 – An F0 tornado struck Yavapai County.[26]
October 17, 1962 – Two unrated tornadoes struck the state. The first was in Navajo County. The second was in Apache County.[27][28]
July 10, 1963 – An unrated tornado struck Cochise County.
The tornado that killed 2 people in San Xavier.August 27, 1964 – An F2 tornado struck San Xavier in Pima County damaging an Indian village and destroyed homes, 2 people we're killed and 9 people we're injured. This was the first deadly tornado in Arizona.[29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37]
July 4, 1968 – An F2 tornado struck Maricopa County injuring 2 people. The tornado caused at least $25.00K in damage.[49]
July 20, 1968 – Two tornadoes touched down across the state, the first was an unrated tornado struck Coconino County. The second was a F1 which injured 3 people in Maricopa County.[50][51]
October 3, 1968 – An F2 tornado struck Maricopa County. Injuring 3 people and leaving $250.00K in damage.[52]
August 1, 1969 – Two tornadoes touched down in the state, the first was a F1 that struck Maricopa County injuring 2 people. The second was a F0 that struck Pima County.[55][56]
August 16, 1969 – An F1 tornado struck Pima County. The tornado caused at least $250.00K in damage.[57]
September 9, 1970 – An F1 tornado struck Maricopa County causing $25.00K in property damage.[60]
July 16, 1971 – An F1 tornado struck Cochise County, injuring 2 people. The tornado caused $25.00K in damage.[61]
July 17, 1971 – An F1 tornado struck Cochise County, causing at least $25.00K in damage.[62]
August 30, 1971 – An F2 tornado struck Tempe in Maricopa County damaging roofs, homes and trees. The tornado also destroyed 25 trailers. 41 people we're injured due to flying glass. The tornado caused at least $3.000M in damage.[63][64][65][66][67][68][69][70][71]
September 1, 1971 – Two F1 tornadoes touched down in the state. The first struck Pima County. The second struck Pinal County, this tornado caused $250.00K in damage.[72][73]
September 14, 1971 – An F2 tornado struck Maricopa County. The tornado caused $25.00K in damage.[74]
October 18, 1971 – An F1 tornado struck Maricopa County. The tornado caused $25.00K in damage.[75]
June 13, 1972 – An F0 struck Maricopa County. The tornado caused $25.00K in damage.[76]
June 21, 1972 – Seven tornadoes touched down across the state. The first tornado was a F1 that struck Pinal County injuring 8 people and leaving $2.5M in damage. The second was a F0 that struck Pinal County. The third was a F1 that struck Pinal County injuring 5 people, the tornado damaged house trailers, trees, businesses and leaving $205k in damage. The fourth was a F0 that struck Pinal County. The fifth was a F0 that struck Maricopa County. The sixth tornado was a F3 that struck Eloy in Pinal County, injuring 18 people, including 5 that we're hospitalized. The twister completely destroyed two homes and other buildings. The seventh tornado was a F2 that struck Maricopa County injuring 3 people. The tornado damaged at least 100 homes and some mobile home. This was the first damaging tornado outbreak in Arizona.[77][78][79][80][81][82][83]
September 10, 1972 – An F1 tornado touched down in Maricopa County; one injury reported and $2.500M in damage.[89]
September 18, 1972 – Two tornadoes hit the state, the first was a F1 tornado that struck Mohave County, injuring one person and leaving $250.00K in damage. The second was a F1 that struck Yuma County leaving $25.00K in damage.[90][91]
August 2, 1973 – An F0 tornado struck near Prescott in Yavapai County, the tornado moved across a lake shortly becoming a waterspout and quickly dissipated after making landfall.[95]
June 23, 1974 – Two tornadoes touched down in the state, the first was a F1 tornado that struck Tucson in Pima County. The tornado struck a trailer park destroying 19 mobile homes and damaging 33 more, killing a man and injuring 40 people. While the tornado is officially rated as a F1. Weather researcher, Thomas P. Grazulis rated the tornado as a F2. The second tornado was a F0 that struck Tucson in Pima County.[96][97][98]
May 4, 1976 – There was a outbreak of three tornadoes and all three struck Maricopa County. The first was a F0 that struck Scottsdale, the tornado had a length of 2 miles (3.2km). Shortly after the tornado dissipated, an F1 tornado struck the desert in Mesa, the twister was covered in dust and quickly dissipated when it entered a citrus grove. Approximately 48 minutes later, an F0 tornado briefly touched down in Fountain Hills.[107][108][109]
August 12, 1976 – An F1 tornado struck Colorado City in Mohave County. The tornado unroofed a hay shelter and lifted a house under construction. The tornado caused approximately $2.5K in damage.[111]
May 1, 1980 – Two tornadoes struck the state. The first being a F1 that touched down in Yavapai County and taking a 7.7 miles (12.4km) path and then traveled into Coconino County and dissipated shortly after. Approximately 15 minutes later, another F1 tornado struck Coconino County.[119][120]
September 5, 1981 – An outbreak of three tornadoes hit Arizona. The first was a F1 that struck Pinal County, causing at least $250K in damage. Two minutes later, another F1 tornado struck Maricopa County, knocking down several power lines, damaging trees, houses and mobile homes. Leaving at least $250K in damage. Around 4 hours later, another F1 tornado struck Sun City West in Maricopa County. Leaving at least $250k in damage.[121][122][123]
August 12, 1982 – An F0 tornado struck Gila Bend in Maricopa County. The tornado caused slight damage to a building and dissipated shortly after.[124]
July 31, 1983 – A small and short lived F1 tornado struck Quartzsite in Yuma County; thousand pound chicken coop was destroyed. The tornado caused at least $2.5K in damage.[125]
August 6, 1983 – A short lived F1 tornado struck Colorado City near the Utah border.[126]
August 8, 1983 – A small F1 tornado struck Phoenix destroying a barn.[127]
August 16, 1983 – A violent thunderstorm produced a small F1 tornado in Phoenix. The tornado damaged powerlines which resulted in vehicles also being damaged in parking lots.[128]
December 27, 1983 – A violent thunderstorm produced a short lived F1 tornado. The tornado struck Colorado City near the Utah border. Houses sustained roof and glass damage, large trees were also damaged and power poles were knocked down.[126]
July 16, 1984 – Two F1 tornadoes struck Pima County. The first hit Tucson damaging three telephone poles. The second hit Tucson in the center of town.[129][130]
August 9, 1984 – A short lived F1 tornado touched down in Phoenix damaging several houses. The tornado caused at least $250K in damage.[132]
March 15, 1985 – An outbreak of three tornadoes touched down in Arizona and all three hit Pinal County. The first two were F0's that struck Pinal. The last tornado was a short lived F1 tornado that struck Coolidge causing roof damage too a tavern and caused other damage.[133][134][135]
November 18, 1986 – Two tornadoes hit the state and in Pinal County. The first was a F0 that struck Eloy in a very rural area. The second was a F1 that caused damage to at least 60 mobile homes in Apache Junction; some were torn from their foundations. The tornado caused $250K in damage.[136][137]
August 29, 1987 – A short lived F0 tornado destroyed two sheds in Phoenix.[138]
September 22, 1987 – Two tornadoes hit Yuma County, the first being a short lived F0 near the California border. The second was a F1 that damaged a shed and nearby power poles and wheels were thrown against a fence. The tornado caused at least 2.5K in damage.[139][140]
July 20, 1988 – An F1 tornado caused roof damage to a storage building in Eloy.[141]
January 4, 1989 – An F0 struck Maricopa County causing some roof damage to homes. This was Arizona's first winter tornado.[142]
January 6, 1992 – A large pacific low pressure system spawned two tornadoes in Maricopa County. The first, being a F1. Touched down in Phoenix causing roof damage to a apartment complex. The second was a F0 that struck Mesa.[148][149]
February 13, 1992 – Three F0 tornadoes hit Maricopa County. The first hit Phoenix; roofs and fences were damaged; the tornado left $2.5K in damage. The second tornado hit Tempe. The third tornado hit Apache Junction damaging 15 mobiles homes, including four that were seriously damaged.[150][151][152]
May 23, 1992 – Two tornadoes struck Maricopa County. The first was a F0 in Scottsdale damaging a fence and a small shed. The second was a F1; a carnival was damaged; glass and a stores front door was damaged.[153][154]
July 6, 1992 – Thunderstorms developed in Pima County, which spawned a F1 tornado. 58 power poles were downed; a mobile home was lifted and thrown onto another car. One aircraft was damaged at Tucson International Airport. Many other buildings were damaged or destroyed. Narrative public lists one person was killed and six were injured. While National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration lists one person was injured. The tornado caused roughly $2.500M in damage.[155]
August 17, 1992 – A small F0 destroyed three mobile homes in Cochise County.[156]
October 24, 1992 – Three tornadoes struck the state Coconino County. The first was a F2 tornado that snapped or uprooted at least 700 pine trees in Flagstaff. The last two were F0's that struck Coconino County.[158][159][160]
January 17, 1993 – An F2 tornado struck Maricopa County; 18 houses were damaged, including four that had major damaged in Phoenix. The tornado caused at least $5M in damage which is the highest record for amount of property damage for a tornado in Arizona.[161]
