Arizona severe thunderstorm wind
Every recorded severe thunderstorm wind event since 1955 · 15 counties with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 4,106 severe thunderstorm wind events in Arizona from 1955 through June 30, 2026, about 113 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the June 26, 1990 thunderstorm wind in Gila County: 6 deaths. Arizona ranks 34th of 52 states and territories by count and 41st of 51 per square mile.
Severe thunderstorm wind in Arizona, 1955 to 2026
Thunderstorm wind records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996.
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1996: all 48 event types recorded from 1996
- Records
- 4,1061955 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 113average
- Deaths
- 14231 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $888Mas filed
- Busiest year
- 2022265 records
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
Are severe thunderstorm wind events common in Arizona?
Arizona averages about 113 severe thunderstorm wind events a year since 2000, 34th of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2022 (265). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Arizona records 361 severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955, 41st of 51 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1955, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
Which counties in Arizona have the most severe thunderstorm wind events?
Per square mile, Maricopa County leads Arizona: 598 days with a severe thunderstorm wind event since 1955, 65.0 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Maricopa County has the most thunderstorm wind records (1,520 since 1955); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1955 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is the severe thunderstorm season in Arizona?
75% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955 fell in July and August. The busiest month is August (1,533 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 33 · Feb 16 · Mar 31 · Apr 24 · May 56 · Jun 233 · Jul 1,526 · Aug 1,533 · Sep 511 · Oct 100 · Nov 26 · Dec 17 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1955.
What were the deadliest severe thunderstorm wind events in Arizona?
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-06-26 | Thunderstorm WindGila County | 6 | 0 | – | |
| 1988-08-27 | Thunderstorm WindPinal County | 2 | 17 | – | |
| 1988-07-10 | Thunderstorm WindMaricopa County | 1 | 6 | – | |
| 1993-09-12 | Thunderstorm WindCasa Grande, Pinal County A severe thunderstorm moved into the far northern part of the city of Casa Grande, and overturned a mobile home which pinned a small child underneath. The little girl later died of her injuries. The very strong thunderstorm winds also downed power lines and blew down a medium-size pine tree. Heavy rains also flooded ... | 1 | 2 | $1.0M | |
| 2019-09-04 | Thunderstorm WindTonopah, Maricopa County Isolated monsoon thunderstorms developed across the central deserts to the west of Phoenix during the early evening hours on September 4th. One of the more powerful storms produced a strong micro burst with wind speeds estimated to be as high as 70 mph. Local law enforcement reported that downburst winds blew over 6 ... | 61 kt wind | 1 | 1 | $87K |
| 2024-08-22 | Thunderstorm WindTortilla Flat, Maricopa County An adult male was found deceased due to drowning at Canyon Lake. The man was paddle boarding at the time the thunderstorm was approaching and fell off the paddleboard likely due to the strong winds and higher waves. A surface observing site located at Canyon Lake measured a peak gust of 40 mph. | 35 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2024-07-24 | Thunderstorm WindPhoenix Farm Aero Ar, Maricopa County One storm episode: 8 records; the totals are the episode's. Scattered to numerous thunderstorms developed across eastern and southeastern AZ during the afternoon hours. Deep and colliding outflows sparked new development across the lower deserts of south-central AZ during the early evening hours, including several thunderstorm clusters developing over the Phoenix metro area ... | 65 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $2.1M |
| 2001-07-14 | Thunderstorm WindScottsdale, Maricopa County A microburst hit parts of Scottsdale and Tempe with very strong winds and heavy rain. Many homes and businesses sustained damage, with at least 19 power poles blown down. One pole landed on a vehicle near Scottsdale and Indian Bend roads, killing the driver. About 6,000 residents were left without power, including the ... | 80 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $8.3M |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.
The costliest severe thunderstorm wind events in Arizona
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-07-25 | Thunderstorm WindCentral Portion, Maricopa County | 80 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $220M |
| 1996-08-14 | Thunderstorm WindPhoenix, Maricopa County | 0 | 0 | $188M | |
| 2002-07-14 | Thunderstorm WindSky Harbor Airport, Maricopa County One storm episode: 3 records; the totals are the episode's. | 91 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $115M |
| 1999-09-19 | Thunderstorm WindMesa, Maricopa County One storm episode: 7 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. | 0 | 4 | $66M | |
| 2008-08-28 | Thunderstorm WindPhoenix, Maricopa County One storm episode: 9 records; the totals are the episode's. | 74 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $37M |
| 2024-07-14 | Thunderstorm WindTucson, Pima County | 66 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $24M |
| 2010-08-26 | Thunderstorm WindYuma County One storm episode: 6 records; the totals are the episode's. | 75 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $15M |
| 1993-08-09 | Thunderstorm WindPima County Every thunderstorm wind record filed in the state that day (2, in 2 places; before 1996 NOAA filed no storm episodes); the totals are the day's. | 0 | 0 | $11M |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are severe thunderstorm wind events becoming more frequent in Arizona?
Arizona's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | Arizona | United States | Arizona's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955-59 | 29 | 3,482 | 0.83% |
| 1960s | 86 | 10,124 | 0.85% |
| 1970s | 179 | 18,714 | 0.96% |
| 1980s | 263 | 39,604 | 0.66% |
| 1990s | 610 | 85,554 | 0.71% |
| 2000s | 709 | 129,990 | 0.55% |
| 2010s | 1,189 | 161,286 | 0.74% |
| 2020-26 | 1,041 | 126,815 | 0.82% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent severe thunderstorm wind events in Arizona
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-17 | Thunderstorm WindAnegam, Pima County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-17 | Thunderstorm WindSouth Tucson, Pima County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-17 | Thunderstorm WindSouth Tucson, Pima County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-05-24 | Thunderstorm WindDavis Monthan A, Pima County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-12 | Thunderstorm WindDavis Monthan A, Pima County | 49 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2025-11-19 | Thunderstorm WindSunnyslope, Maricopa County | 35 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2025-11-19 | Thunderstorm WindGlendale, Maricopa County | 35 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2025-11-19 | Thunderstorm WindPhoenix Turf Airport, Maricopa County | 35 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-10-13 | Thunderstorm WindPeterson, Maricopa County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.5M |
| 2025-10-13 | Thunderstorm WindKendall, Maricopa County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $300K |
| 2025-10-13 | Thunderstorm WindSky Harbor Airport, Maricopa County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2025-10-13 | Thunderstorm WindScottsdale Municipal, Maricopa County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
Federal disaster declarations for severe thunderstorm wind events in Arizona
FEMA files hail and wind disasters under the incident type Severe Storm: 15 declarations in Arizona, 14 of them major disasters; the latest on May 29, 2026.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-29 | DR-4911 | Severe Storms and Flooding | 1 |
| 2023-04-11 | DR-4703 | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding | 1 |
| 2022-09-02 | DR-4668 | Severe Storms | 1 |
| 2019-05-21 | DR-4436 | Snowstorm and Flooding | 1 |
| 2018-11-30 | DR-4409 | Severe Storms and Flooding | 1 |
| 2010-12-21 | DR-1950 | Severe Storms and Flooding | 1 |
| 2010-10-04 | DR-1940 | Severe Storms and Flooding | 2 |
| 2010-03-18 | DR-1888 | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding | 14 |
| 2010-01-24 | EM-3307 | Severe Winter Storm | 5 |
| 2006-09-07 | DR-1660 | Severe Storms and Flooding | 11 |
| 2005-04-14 | DR-1586 | Severe Storms and Flooding | 12 |
| 2005-02-17 | DR-1581 | Severe Storms and Flooding | 8 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
- Maricopa County: the county's whole recordThe Arizona county with the most severe thunderstorm wind events per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind across the United StatesEvery state ranked, by year and month
- Every natural hazard in ArizonaTornadoes, floods, storms, heat and the federal declarations
- Floods in Arizona3,896 records
- Heat in Arizona2,676 records
- High wind and dust storms in Arizona1,882 records