KinwarnArizona tornado warnings
The National Weather Service issued 39 tornado warnings, 3,874 severe thunderstorm warnings and 3,487 flash flood warnings for Arizona from 2016 to 2025, about 3.9, 387 and 349 a year. That ranks 39th of 52 states and territories for tornado warnings. Pima County had the most of any county: 13 tornado warnings.
Arizona warnings and radar right now
Checking the National Weather Service for Arizona…
Arizona counties ranked by tornado warnings
Warnings that listed each county, 2016 to 2025, and tornadoes recorded in the county since 1950. A warning can list several counties, so the county numbers add up to more than the state total.
| County | Tornado warnings | Severe thunderstorm | Flash flood | Tornadoes since 1950 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pima County | 13 | 819 | 436 | 29 |
| Pinal County | 7 | 581 | 265 | 30 |
| Navajo County | 6 | 192 | 173 | 23 |
| Gila County | 5 | 444 | 397 | 4 |
| Maricopa County | 4 | 661 | 571 | 75 |
| Coconino County | 4 | 355 | 525 | 49 |
| Mohave County | 4 | 321 | 569 | 18 |
| Cochise County | 3 | 475 | 174 | 18 |
| Graham County | 2 | 186 | 59 | 1 |
| Apache County | 2 | 110 | 91 | 18 |
| Yavapai County | 1 | 435 | 493 | 29 |
| Santa Cruz County | 1 | 313 | 105 | 1 |
| La Paz County | 0 | 158 | 204 | 1 |
| Yuma County | 0 | 105 | 121 | 12 |
| Greenlee County | 0 | 47 | 9 | 0 |
Arizona warnings by year
Each warning counts once for the state, however many counties it covered. 2008 is the first full year the National Weather Service drew an outline around every warning.
Tornadoes since 1950
305 tornadoes have been recorded in Arizona since 1950. They killed 3 people and injured 152. July had the most (58).
| Year | Tornado | Severe thunderstorm | Flash flood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 to Oct 19 | 4 | 604 | 551 |
| 2025 | 2 | 314 | 276 |
| 2024 | 7 | 651 | 263 |
| 2023 | 2 | 336 | 164 |
| 2022 | 4 | 633 | 946 |
| 2021 | 8 | 561 | 689 |
| 2020 | 1 | 187 | 104 |
| 2019 | 7 | 274 | 242 |
| 2018 | 3 | 460 | 391 |
| 2017 | 2 | 232 | 262 |
| 2016 | 3 | 226 | 150 |
| 2015 | 7 | 376 | 170 |
| 2014 | 0 | 218 | 235 |
| 2013 | 0 | 212 | 234 |
| 2012 | 5 | 234 | 262 |
| 2011 | 11 | 328 | 153 |
| 2010 | 33 | 284 | 174 |
| 2009 | 0 | 141 | 60 |
| 2008 | 2 | 389 | 183 |
What stands out in Arizona
2010 was the busiest year for tornado warnings in Arizona since 2008, with 33 tornado warnings. The busiest year for flash flood warnings was 2022, with 946.
Since 2008, 7 flash flood warnings for Arizona were raised to a flash flood emergency for at least part of the warned area: the Weather Service’s rarest warning, used when a severe threat to life is happening or about to happen.
7 severe thunderstorm warnings for Arizona carried the “destructive” tag (winds of 80 mph or more, or hail 2.75 inches or larger) since the tag started in August 2021. Only those severe thunderstorm warnings set off Wireless Emergency Alerts on phones.
4 tornadoes in Arizona since 1950 were rated F3 or EF3, the strongest recorded there. The most recent was on October 6, 2010.
National Weather Service warnings from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet archive through October 19, 2026; tornado ratings from the Storm Prediction Center and NOAA Storm Events.
States next to Arizona
Tornado warnings for each neighboring state, 2016 to 2025.
- New Mexico 176 tornado warnings
- California 86 tornado warnings
- Nevada 6 tornado warnings
- Utah 5 tornado warnings
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Arizona tornado warnings: questions people ask
How many tornado warnings does Arizona get a year?
About 3.9 a year: the National Weather Service issued 39 tornado warnings for Arizona from 2016 to 2025, 39th of 52 states and territories.
Which Arizona county gets the most tornado warnings?
Pima County has the most: 13 tornado warnings listed it from 2016 to 2025, ahead of Pinal County with 7. A warning can list several counties, so county counts add up to more than the state total.
Which Arizona city gets the most tornado warnings?
Gilbert has the most among cities and towns with 10,000 people or more: the outlines of 1 tornado warning covered its center from 2016 to 2025.
When is tornado season in Arizona?
July and August: 38% of the 305 tornadoes recorded in Arizona since 1950 came in those two months. Tornadoes have struck Arizona in every month of the year.
About these numbers
Counts are National Weather Service warnings that listed an Arizona county, through October 19, 2026. How Kinwarn counts · Arizona data (CSV)
Cite: Kinwarn. “Arizona tornado warnings.” kinwarn.com/arizona. National Weather Service data through October 19, 2026.
Sources: IEM warning archive · NWS 2007 outlines · SPC tornado database · Census places · Census population estimates · NWS tornado alerts