Mohave County, Arizona
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 04015 · population 212,833 · 13,332 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,526 records for Mohave County, Arizona from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 691 days; the most frequent are floods and flash floods (697 records). The deadliest single record is the August 1, 2015 heat, filed for the forecast zone Lake Mead National Recreation Area, which covers the county: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 15 declarations naming the county since 1977, 13 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Willow Fire” on August 9, 2015.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 1,526on 691 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 26227 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $52Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 18strongest F1
- FEMA declarations
- 15latest 2020
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Mohave County most?
The most frequent records are floods and flash floods: 697 since 1996. 63% of its floods and flash floods since 1996 fell in July and August. The rank column places the county among Arizona's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | 697 | 307 | 1996-2025 | 8 | 125 | $26M | 7 of 15 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 285 | 204 | 1961-2025 | 0 | 21 | $18M | 11 of 15 |
| Heat | 162 | 66 | 2010-2025 | 9 | 44 | $32K | 11 of 15 |
| High wind and dust storms | 151 | 130 | 1998-2026 | 6 | 9 | $1.2M | 9 of 15 |
| Hail | 87 | 68 | 1972-2025 | 1 | 2 | $16K | 10 of 15 |
| Winter storms | 54 | 42 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 17 | $761K | 12 of 15 |
| Lightning | 29 | 26 | 1998-2024 | 0 | 0 | $957K | 5 of 15 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 18 | 16 | 1998-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 13 of 15 |
| Tornadoes | 18 | 15 | 1972-2022 | 0 | 4 | $2.7M | 10 of 15 |
| Heavy rain | 10 | 10 | 2002-2022 | 2 | 5 | $239K | 13 of 15 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 4 | 2013-2015 | 0 | 0 | $911K | 13 of 15 |
| Wildfires | 6 | 6 | 2012-2024 | 0 | 0 | $577K | 13 of 15 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 3 | 3 | 2021-2022 | 0 | 0 | $9K | 7 of 15 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Mohave County had?
NOAA records 18 tornadoes in Mohave County from 1972 to 2022, the strongest rated F1, with 0 deaths and 4 injuries recorded in the county. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 18 tornadoes whose track touched Mohave County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 18, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Arizona.
Every tornado record filed for Mohave County (18)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-08-21 | Littlefield, Mohave County | EFU 0.01 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-07-24 | Mojave Co Airport, Mohave County | EF0 0.98 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-07-27 | Berry, Mohave County | EF0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-10-18 | Mojave Co Airport, Mohave County | EF0 1.23 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2001-04-21 | Bullhead City, Mohave County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-11-22 | Kingman, Mohave County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-11-22 | Kingman, Mohave County | F1 5 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-11-22 | Kingman, Mohave County | F0 0.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-11-22 | Kingman, Mohave County | F0 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $19K |
| 1995-07-13 | Kingman, Mohave County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-04-26 | Littlefield, Mohave County | F0 3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1983-12-27 | Mohave County | F1 0.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1983-08-06 | Mohave County | F1 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1979-03-14 | Mohave County | 0 | 3 | $25K step | |
| 1976-08-12 | Mohave County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1974-08-06 | Mohave County | F1 1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1972-09-18 | Mohave County | F1 | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1972-08-08 | Mohave County | F0 2.3 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Mohave County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the December 1, 2025 strong wind (1 death).
A woman fell off a houseboat while the captain was attempting to re-anchor due to windy conditions. She drowned despite rescue efforts.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1296789)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-19 | High WindMohave County · forecast zone Northwest Deserts | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-16 | High WindMohave County · forecast zone Northwest Deserts | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-25 | High WindMohave County · forecast zone Northwest Deserts | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-01 | Strong WindMohave County · forecast zone Lake Havasu And Fort Mohave | 22 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2025-11-15 | Flash FloodMohave Valley, Mohave County | 0 | 0 | $1K | |
| 2025-10-11 | Flash FloodDolan Spgs, Mohave County | 0 | 0 | $1K | |
| 2025-10-11 | Flash FloodMeadview, Mohave County | 0 | 0 | $25K | |
| 2025-09-28 | Flash FloodWillow Beach, Mohave County | 0 | 0 | $1K | |
| 2025-09-28 | Flash FloodMeadview, Mohave County | 0 | 0 | $2K | |
| 2025-09-28 | Flash FloodOatman, Mohave County | 0 | 0 | $2K | |
| 2025-09-26 | Flash FloodTemple Bar Marina, Mohave County | 0 | 0 | $1K | |
| 2025-09-26 | Flash FloodGriffith, Mohave County | 0 | 0 | $5K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-08-01 | HeatMohave County · forecast zone Lake Mead National Recreation Area A couple died of heat-related causes in their van after it became stuck on a dirt road in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Their exact times of death are unknown. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2007-07-24 | Flash FloodMojave Co Airport, Mohave County Water was up to the door of a home in Golden Valley, and many cars were stuck in washes. Two men died when their truck was swept down a wash after they attempted to drive across it. | 2 | 0 | $28K | |
| 2006-05-26 | Strong WindMohave County · forecast zone X Wc Mohave Two drownings at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. 32YO female fell off a personal watercraft near Princess Cove, AZ on Lake Mohave, and 21YO male fell off a small boat at an unknown location. Strong winds contributed to both deaths. | 30 kt wind | 2 | 0 | – |
| 2006-05-21 | Strong WindMohave County · forecast zone X Wc Mohave Two drownings at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. 69YO female fell off a personal watercraft near Temple Bar, and 4YO female fell off a raft near South Telephone Cove. Strong winds contributed to both drownings. | 35 kt wind | 2 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-09 | HeatMohave County · forecast zone Lake Mead National Recreation Area One hiker died and 33 others were rescued after suffering heat-related symptoms. | 1 | 33 | – | |
| 2013-06-06 | Excessive HeatMohave County · forecast zone Lake Mead National Recreation Area Temperatures reached Excessive Heat Warning criteria for four consecutive days. One man died from the heat and five others were injured. | 1 | 5 | – | |
| 1997-08-09 | Flash FloodKingman, Mohave County Severe thunderstorms with very heavy rain began over central Mohave County around 12:30 am and ended around 2:30 am MST. Washes rapidly filled in the vicinity of Kingman and several roads were washed out. At least two cars were caught in a flooded wash and their four occupants had to be rescued by helicopter. Also, ... | 1 | 4 | $184K | |
| 2014-07-06 | Heavy RainKingman, Mohave County A car crash on Highway 68 in heavy rain conditions killed one and injured three (indirect). | 1 | 3 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-07-13 | Flash FloodLake Havasu Cit, Mohave County | 1 | 0 | $6.4M | |
| 2010-12-21 | FloodBeaver Dam, Mohave County | 0 | 0 | $5.4M | |
| 2007-08-01 | Flash FloodKingman, Mohave County | 0 | 0 | $2.8M | |
| 2008-08-25 | Thunderstorm WindMohave Valley, Mohave County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2.7M |
| 2000-08-16 | Thunderstorm WindLake Havasu City, Mohave County | 0 | 1 | $1.7M | |
| 1997-09-14 | Thunderstorm WindBullhead City, Mohave County | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | |
| 2010-01-22 | FloodWikieup, Mohave County | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | |
| 2019-09-01 | Thunderstorm WindLake Havasu Cit, Mohave County | 48 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: September 18, 1972 (tornado, Mohave County); December 27, 1983 (tornado, Mohave County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Mohave County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 26 | 57 | 365 | 249 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 2 | 8 | 17 | 42 | 49 | 90 | 77 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 28 | 134 z |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 1 | 37 | 63 | 50 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 25 | 17 | 34 | 7 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 12 | 27 | 9 |
Heat in the 2020-26: 134 records against 28 in the decade before, 134 of them forecast-zone records. Cells marked z rose mostly through zone records. The local National Weather Service office files these once per forecast zone, so a change in how it draws its zones or splits a storm into records moves this count as much as the weather does; read it beside the Mohave County days with a record above.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
63% of its floods and flash floods since 1996 fell in July and August. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 50 · Feb 38 · Mar 47 · Apr 34 · May 33 · Jun 62 · Jul 425 · Aug 431 · Sep 235 · Oct 89 · Nov 41 · Dec 41 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Mohave County
FEMA's register lists 15 declarations that include Mohave County: 9 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 3 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (4) and flood (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-04-04 | DR-4524 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3442 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2015-08-09 | FM-5095 | Fire | Willow Fire |
| 2013-07-02 | FM-5033 | Fire | Dean Peak Fire |
| 2010-03-18 | DR-1888 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-12 | EM-3241 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-06-12 | FM-2560 | Fire | Az-Hulet Fire-06-11-2005 |
| 2005-04-14 | DR-1586 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-02-17 | DR-1581 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1985-01-15 | DR-730 | Severe Storm | Heavy Rain & High Winds |
| 1983-10-05 | DR-691 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1983-07-01 | DR-686 | Flood | Flooding |
| 1980-02-19 | DR-614 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1978-03-04 | DR-551 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1977-04-15 | EM-3038 | Drought | Drought |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Mohave County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 697 flood or flash flood records for Mohave County from 1996 to 2025, on 307 days, with 8 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Mohave County ranks 1041st of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.9 million on 164 claims filed in Mohave County; the most in one year was 43 in 1983. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 6 · 1979: 2 · 1980: 1 · 1981: 1 · 1982: 2 · 1983: 43 · 1984: 11 · 1987: 4 · 1989: 1 · 1990: 7 · 1991: 2 · 1992: 2 · 1993: 3 · 1994: 2 · 1995: 3 · 1997: 18 · 1998: 1 · 2001: 6 · 2003: 1 · 2004: 2 · 2005: 4 · 2006: 1 · 2007: 1 · 2008: 1 · 2009: 6 · 2010: 5 · 2011: 1 · 2012: 4 · 2013: 3 · 2014: 2 · 2016: 1 · 2018: 3 · 2019: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2025: 8 · 2026: 2; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Mohave County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Mohave County Relatively High overall, with an expected annual loss of $105 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Very High | $1.9M | 37 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively High | $14M | once in about 175 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | $12M | 10 modeled event-days a year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | $74M | 10 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $283K | 5.4 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $632K | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $129K | once in about 67 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $2.1M | once in about 86 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Mohave County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in ArizonaEvery Arizona tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Floods in ArizonaThe state's floods and flash floods, by county, year and month
- The Arizona recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Mohave CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Mohave County's FEMA declarations (CSV)15 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis