Storm hazard · NOAA Storm Events Database
Dust Devil in the United States
National statistics for dust devil events from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015–2025): how often they occur, where they hit hardest, and the human and property toll.
- 85
- Events recorded
- 2
- Fatalities
- $1.1M
- Property damage
- 20
- States affected
How dangerous are Dust Devil events in the U.S.?
NOAA's Storm Events Database has catalogued 85 dust devil events across 20 states and territories between 2015 and 2025. The cumulative human toll is 2 fatalities and 47 injuries, and the financial footprint reaches $1.1M in combined property ($1.1M) and crop ($0) damage. On a per-fatality basis this places dust devil events at a low severity tier relative to other tracked hazard types in the NOAA catalog.
Where this hazard actually strikes varies sharply by region. The three states absorbing the largest share of events are NV (19 events, 0 fatalities), AZ (18 events, 0 fatalities), TX (8 events, 0 fatalities), a pattern driven more by climatology than by any one state's vulnerability. At the other end, states such as LA, SD, GU report far fewer events, often reflecting hazard climatology rather than underreporting.
The annual record is uneven rather than steadily rising or falling. The peak year on record was 2022, logging 20 events and $302.4K in property damage in a single calendar year. The most recent year in the dataset is 2025 with 6 events recorded. Across the full 10-year window, annual event counts reflect natural year-to-year noise given how infrequently this hazard is recorded at all.
How to interpret this data
NOAA storm event data is filed by local National Weather Service forecast offices, so reporting intensity can vary by jurisdiction and should be interpreted alongside FEMA disaster declarations for a fuller picture.
For household and business preparedness, this state-and-year view should be paired with local-level FEMA National Risk Index ratings, flood-zone maps where applicable, and up-to-date NWS watch/warning information, population exposure and asset value matter as much as raw event frequency for estimating real-world risk.
Dust Devil by State
| # | State | Events | Fatalities | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada NV | 19 | 0 | $583.4K |
| 2 | Arizona AZ | 18 | 0 | $367.0K |
| 3 | Texas TX | 8 | 0 | $0 |
| 4 | New Mexico NM | 7 | 0 | $70.0K |
| 5 | Florida FL | 5 | 0 | $30.0K |
| 6 | Colorado CO | 4 | 0 | $11.0K |
| 7 | Idaho ID | 3 | 0 | $5.0K |
| 8 | Alaska AK | 2 | 0 | $1.2K |
| 9 | Hawaii HI | 2 | 0 | $0 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania PA | 2 | 0 | $0 |
| 11 | Kentucky KY | 2 | 0 | $0 |
| 12 | Washington WA | 2 | 0 | $500 |
| 13 | Alabama AL | 2 | 0 | $2.0K |
| 14 | Oregon OR | 2 | 0 | $5.0K |
| 15 | California CA | 2 | 2 | $5.0K |
| 16 | Maine ME | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| 17 | Montana MT | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| 18 | Louisiana LA | 1 | 0 | $2.0K |
| 19 | South Dakota SD | 1 | 0 | $2.0K |
| 20 | Guam GU | 1 | 0 | $200 |
Dust Devil by Year
| Year | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6 | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| 2024 | 7 | 2 | 3 | $11.2K |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | 0 | $10.0K |
| 2022 | 20 | 0 | 12 | $302.4K |
| 2020 | 5 | 0 | 0 | $21.0K |
| 2019 | 8 | 0 | 25 | $70.0K |
| 2018 | 8 | 0 | 1 | $527.0K |
| 2017 | 6 | 0 | 0 | $55.0K |
| 2016 | 13 | 0 | 0 | $49.0K |
| 2015 | 10 | 0 | 4 | $38.7K |
Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How many dust devil events have occurred in the US?
Which states are most affected by dust devil events?
How much damage do dust devil events cause?
What year had the most dust devil events?
How dangerous are dust devil events?
Which states have the fewest dust devil events?
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (2015-2025) NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (2015-2025) For informational purposes only
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, or report a data error.