Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

has been affected by

hurricanes A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

on numerous occasions. Usually, these storms originate in the

eastern Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

, make landfall in the Mexican states of

Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...

or Sonora, and dissipate before crossing into the United States. Thus, in most cases, it is only the tropical cyclones' remnant moisture that produces heavy rainfall—and in some occasions, flooding—in portions of Arizona. However, approximately every five years, a tropical cyclone retains sufficient strength to enter the state as a

tropical storm A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Dependi ...

or a

tropical depression A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

. Arizonans can expect indirect flash floods caused by the remnants of tropical cyclones to occur about every two years. Tropical cyclones in Arizona are not common, since the predominant wind pattern steers most storms that form in the Eastern Pacific either parallel or away from the Pacific coast of northwestern Mexico. As a result, most storms that could affect Arizona are carried away from the United States, with only 6% of all Pacific hurricanes entering US territory. Not all Arizona hurricanes originate from the Pacific Ocean, however; in July 2008 an Atlantic hurricane named Hurricane Dolly produced rainfall in the eastern portion of the state, and another Atlantic storm reached Arizona as a tropical depression. Many, but not all, of these systems also impacted California. Despite their rarity, hurricanes are among Arizona's most significant weather makers. In years when Arizona is affected by a tropical cyclone, these can be responsible for up to 25% of the rainfall in areas along the

Colorado River The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid watershed that encompasses parts of seven U.S. s ...

. Arizona hurricanes are also responsible for torrential rains in localized areas, with the state's 24-hour rainfall record— of precipitation—occurring during Hurricane Nora's

landfall Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...

in 1997. The heavy rainfall can trigger extensive flash floods, such as the ones produced by the remnants of Tropical Storm Octave in 1983, or the lingering moisture from Tropical Storm Emilia in 2006.

Climatology

Tropical cyclones are not common over Arizona, but on average, a tropical storm or a tropical depression enters the state approximately every five years. However, indirect flash floods caused by the remnants of tropical cyclones are more common, as they tend to occur about every two years. Storms that approach the southwestern United States, and by extension Arizona, generally form closer to the Mexican shoreline than average, making them more likely to recurve northwards under the influence of an approaching trough. These troughs tend to extend farther to the south during the latter part of the Pacific hurricane season, in the period between late August and early October. These pronounced troughs thus produce a synoptic-scale flow that is conducive to steering hurricanes towards the southwestern United States. The infusions of tropical moisture from Arizona-bound tropical cyclones can be a significant portion of the rainfall in the region. In years when hurricanes approach Arizona, eastern and northern portions of the state receive on average 6–8% of the monsoon-season precipitation from tropical systems and their remnants. This percentage rises towards the southwestern corner of the state, which can receive up to a quarter of its monsoon-season rainfall from tropical cyclones.

Storms

Tropical storms are one of Arizona's main sources of rainfall, as they infuse the monsoon over the southwestern United States with moisture, producing large-scale floods in occasions. However, all of the storms that have impacted Arizona have formed in the latter parts of the

Pacific hurricane season A Pacific hurricane is a mature tropical cyclone that develops within the northeastern and central Pacific Ocean to the east of 180°W, north of the equator. For tropical cyclone warning purposes, the northern Pacific is divided into three regio ...

, and only storm remnants have affected the state before August.

Storm systems

Several of these tropical cyclones have caused deaths or heavy property damage, usually due to flooding caused by rain.

Before 1960

Records of tropical cyclones in the East Pacific before 1950 are sparse, but there were still several storms that produced rainfall over Arizona in this period. *August 1921: The first known tropical disturbance to affect the state occurred when a remnant low of a tropical cyclone moved into the western portions of the state. * September 1921: A tropical depression that had tracked parallel to the Mexican coastline moved into Arizona, causing heavy rainfall on September 30. This tropical storm caused more than three inches of rainfall along the

valley, with of rain reported in Yuma. Throughout the state, Flagstaff saw of rainfall, while of precipitation fell in Prescott, in

Tucson , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

, and in

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

. * September 1926: Five years later, the remnants of another September storm hit the state, but this time the precipitation was heaviest on the southeastern portion of the state. The 1926 storm caused over of rain in the vicinity of

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals * Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking *Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civi ...

. * September 1927: The remnants of another tropical system caused of rainfall throughout the state. * June 1929: The

Atlantic hurricane reanalysis The Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration seeks to correct and add new information about past North Atlantic hurricanes. It was started around 2000 to update HURDAT, the official hurricane d ...

project discovered that a rare Atlantic hurricane reached the eastern part of the state as a tropical depression. Damage from this storm, if any, is unknown. * August 1935: The remnants of an unnamed tropical storm that landed on Southern California caused torrential rain and flooding across Arizona, especially along the Santa Cruz River and Rillito Creek on Southern Arizona. The rainfall from the storm contributed to an extremely wet month of August, which still holds the monthly rainfall record at the National Weather Service office in Tucson, as of rainfall fell during the month. * September 1939: Two tropical systems entered the state during the month. On September 4, the remnants of a former hurricane entered southwest Arizona, near Yuma. More than of precipitation fell in northwest Arizona, with many parts of the state collecting more than an inch of rain. This same system produced more than twice the average annual rainfall in

Imperial Valley, California , photo = Salton Sea from Space.jpg , photo_caption = The Imperial Valley below the Salton Sea. The US-Mexican border runs diagonally across the lower left of the image. , map_image = Newriverwatershed-1-.jpg , map_caption = Map of Imperial ...

. On the 11th, the remnants of a separate system also passed over southwest Arizona. *August 1951: No tropical cyclones are known to have affected Arizona in the 1940s. However, in the 1950s, the remnants of two more storms affected the state. On August 24, 1951, the moisture from a hurricane that made landfall in

moved over the state, producing more than of precipitation over southwestern Arizona. Flagstaff saw of rain, with similar totals measured at Prescott () and Phoenix (). The storm also washed out several roadways near

Gila Bend Gila Bend (; O'odham: Hila Wi:n), founded in 1872, is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. The town is named for an approximately 90-degree bend in the Gila River, which is near the community's current location. As of the 2020 cen ...

, isolating the city from motorists. Overall, the storm caused $750,000 (1951

USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

) in property damage. *July 1954: Three years later, the remnants of another hurricane moved over Arizona from the south during the month of July. Damage from this storm is unknown.

1960s

* September 1962: Remnant moisture from

Tropical Storm Claudia The name Claudia has been used for five tropical cyclones in the Eastern Pacific Ocean: * Tropical Storm Claudia (1962), crossed over the western portion of the Baja California peninsula, moved over water, and again struck the peninsula before dissi ...

caused severe flash floods in the vicinity of Tucson, with of precipitation falling over the headwaters of the washes of Santa Rosa, Jackrabbit, and Brawley during a 14- to 15-hour period. Over of rainfall also fell near the

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a 98-acre (40 ha) zoo, aquarium, botanical garden, natural history museum, publisher, and art gallery founded in 1952. Located just west of Tucson, Arizona, it features two miles (3.2 km) of walking path ...

. The ensuing flood of the Santa Cruz River and its tributaries produced a path of destruction about long and up to wide. Santa Rosa Wash conveyed at its peak; Los Robles Wash carried up to , while the Santa Cruz River proper peaked at . The washes and rivers reached depths of up to , and overflowed its banks in places by . Flooding from the storm inundated the towns of

Marana Marana may refer to: * Maraña, a village in León, Spain * Maraṇa, the Pali/Sanskrit term for death * Marana, Arizona, a town in Pima County, Arizona, United States * Marana, Estonia, a village in Estonia * Marana, Syria, a village in Syria ...

and Sells, both in

Pima County Pima County ( ) is a county in the south central region of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,043,433, making it Arizona's second-most populous county. The county seat is Tucson, where most of the populati ...

. Total damage in Pima and Pinal Counties exceeded $11 million (1962 USD). * September 1964: The next storm to affect the state was

Tropical Storm Tillie The 1964 Pacific hurricane season was the least active Pacific hurricane season on record since 1953. The season officially started on May 15 in the eastern Pacific and June 1 in the Central Pacific Hurricane Center's area of responsibi ...

in 1964. Although the storm remained at sea, its residual moisture was advected over southern Arizona, allowing a passing

cold front A cold front is the leading edge of a cooler mass of air at ground level that replaces a warmer mass of air and lies within a pronounced surface trough of low pressure. It often forms behind an extratropical cyclone (to the west in the Northern ...

to trigger widespread showers and thunderstorms on the evening of September 9. Tucson received of rainfall in a 24-hour period between September 9–10, and two locations—one in the Catalina Mountain foothills and one near

Sahuarita Sahuarita is a town in Pima County, Arizona, United States. Sahuarita is located south of the Tohono O'odham Nation and abuts the north end of Green Valley, 15 miles (24 km) south of Tucson. The population was 34,134 at th2020 census His ...

—recorded of precipitation. Coupled with rain during the previous week, the Santa Cruz River produced heavy runoff, with peak flows of recorded near Cortaro. * September 1965: The following year, the remnants of

Hurricane Emily The name Emily has been used for fourteen tropical cyclones worldwide, seven in the Atlantic Ocean, five in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, and two in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Atlantic: * Hurricane Emily (1981) – crossed Bermuda *Hurricane Emi ...

crossed into Arizona from Baja California. Any damage from the storm is not known. * September 1966: The remnants of

Kirsten Kirsten is both a given name and a surname. Given name Kirsten is a female given name. It is a Scandinavian form of the names Christina and Christine.Nogales. * August 1967: Hurricane Katrina brought heavy rainfall into the southern portion of the state as a tropical depression. The decaying storm produced about of rainfall across southern Arizona. The peak recorded rainfall occurred at Wellton, where were measured between September 1 and 2. Yuma recorded within a 24-hour period; that was the heaviest rainfall recorded in a four-year period, and was more than the normal rainfall that the city receives during the entire fall season. * August 1968: Two storms approached Arizona in 1968. The first was Tropical Storm Hyacinth in August. It reached the southeastern corner of the state as a tropical depression, and produced showers and thunderstorms over the eastern portion of the state. * October 1968: The last storm to impact Arizona during the decade was

Hurricane Pauline Hurricane Pauline was one of the deadliest Pacific hurricanes to make landfall in Mexico. The sixteenth tropical storm, eighth hurricane, and seventh major hurricane of the 1997 Pacific hurricane season, Pauline developed out of a tropical wave f ...

, which added high amounts of moisture ahead of a cold front in early October. The added

instability In numerous fields of study, the component of instability within a system is generally characterized by some of the outputs or internal states growing without bounds. Not all systems that are not stable are unstable; systems can also be mar ...

in the atmosphere allowed the cold front to produce

severe thunderstorm A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorms are somet ...

s, including an

F2 tornado The Fujita scale (F-Scale; ), or Fujita–Pearson scale (FPP scale), is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation. The official Fujita scale category is determ ...

that wrecked several homes and caused $250,000 (1968 USD) in damage when it touched down in

Glendale Glendale is the anglicised version of the Gaelic Gleann Dail, which means ''valley of fertile, low-lying arable land''. It may refer to: Places Australia * Glendale, New South Wales ** Stockland Glendale, a shopping centre *Glendale, Queensland, ...

1970s

*September 1970: The remnants of Tropical Storm Norma became Arizona's deadliest storm when they contributed to the disaster known as the "Labor Day storm of 1970". As Norma dissipated, moisture from the cyclone was entrapped in a large extratropical low. Much of the southern and central parts of the state saw of rainfall, and mountainous locations saw between . Much of the region saw extensive flash flooding that killed 23 people and caused significant damage. *October 1971: The following year, Hurricane Olivia produced over of rainfall across Arizona, triggering flash flood warnings throughout the region. Pinal Ranch reported of precipitation, while

Mount Lemmon Mount Lemmon, with a summit elevation of , is the highest point in the Santa Catalina Mountains. It is located in the Coronado National Forest north of Tucson, Arizona, United States. Mount Lemmon was named for botanist Sara Plummer Lemmon, who ...

measured . Olivia's remnants also caused three major power outages near Yuma and produced flooding that resulted in the closure of a portion of

U.S. Route 95 US Route 95 (US 95) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highways, US Highway in the western United States. It travels through the states of Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, and Idaho, staying inland from the Pacific Coast ...

. In Navajo and Pinal counties, the rainfall damaged roads, bridges, sewers, and homes, which amounted to about $250,000 in repair work for the state of Arizona. *October 1972:

Hurricane Joanne The name Joanne has been used for four tropical cyclones in the eastern Pacific Ocean. * Tropical Storm Joanne (1961) * Hurricane Joanne (1968) * Hurricane Joanne (1972) Hurricane Joanne was one of four tropical cyclones to bring gale-force win ...

entered Arizona as a tropical storm before dissipating near Flagstaff. Many areas of the state received between of rainfall, with isolated locations receiving over . The Nogales Highway Bridge over the Santa Cruz River was washed away by the flooding. The heavy rain from Joanne saturated the soils for a later storm that produced flooding that caused $10 million (1972

) in property damage and eight deaths. * September 1976: On September 11,

Hurricane Kathleen Hurricane Kathleen was a tropical cyclone that had a destructive impact in California. On September 7, 1976, a tropical depression formed; two days later it accelerated north towards the Baja California Peninsula. Kathleen brushed the Pacific c ...

entered southern California, producing tropical-storm-force winds over western and possibly southern Arizona. Yuma reported

maximum sustained wind The maximum sustained wind associated with a tropical cyclone is a common indicator of the intensity of the storm. Within a mature tropical cyclone, it is found within the eyewall at a distance defined as the radius of maximum wind, or RMW. Unl ...

s of and gusts of before the measuring station lost power. The winds from Kathleen killed a man when a gust of wind blew a palm tree down onto his mobile home. Severe flooding and hailstorms also resulted. While most of the rainfall from the storm fell in California, fell at the

Davis Dam Davis Dam is a dam on the Colorado River about downstream from Hoover Dam. It stretches across the border between Arizona and Nevada. Originally called Bullhead Dam, Davis Dam was renamed after Arthur Powell Davis, who was the director of the ...

on the

. * October 1976: The next month,

Hurricane Liza Hurricane Liza caused the worst natural disaster in the history of Baja California Sur. The seventeenth tropical cyclone, thirteenth named storm, and eighth hurricane of the 1976 Pacific hurricane season, Liza developed from an area of disturb ...

brought light rain to the state, with the state maximum being on Willow Beach. *August 1977: Hurricane Doreen caused severe flooding in Yuma County and near

Bullhead City Bullhead City is a city located on the Colorado River in Mohave County, Arizona, United States, south of Las Vegas, Nevada, and directly across the Colorado River from Laughlin, Nevada, whose casinos and ancillary services supply much of the em ...

. A rain gauge near the city of Yuma saw more than of precipitation during the storm. * October 1977: The remnants of Hurricane Heather caused of rain in Nogales. Extensive

bank erosion Bank erosion is the wearing away of the banks of a stream or river. This is distinguished from erosion of the bed of the watercourse, which is referred to as ''scour''. The roots of trees growing by a stream are undercut by such erosion. As the ...

occurred across southeastern Arizona, as rivers crested over their

100-year flood A 100-year flood is a flood event that has a 1 in 100 chance (1% probability) of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. The 100-year flood is also referred to as the 1% flood, since its annual exceedance probability is 1%.Holmes, R.R., Jr. ...

levels, and 400 people were forced to evacuate their homes. Total damage from the storm was assessed at $15 million (1977 USD).

1980s

The 1980s saw destructive tropical cyclones pass through the state, as was the case with the previous decade. *October 1983: A weather system, including moisture from Tropical Storm Octave, caused torrential rains over a ten-day period. The largest precipitation total occurred in

Mount Graham Mount Graham (called in Nnee biyati' (Western Apache) Dził Nchaa Sí'an - ′Big Seated Mountain′) is a mountain in Graham County, Arizona, United States, approximately northeast of Tucson. The mountain reaches in height. It is the highes ...

, which saw of rain overall. The downpour caused record floods in the

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

, Gila, San Pedro, and Santa Cruz rivers. The latter breached its banks near Red Rock, and by its intersection with Interstate 8, had flooded an area over wide. Fourteen people drowned, 975 were injured, and roughly 10,000 people were left homeless after the flooding ended. The amount of damage from the disaster was put at $370 million (year unknown) USD. Other cities in the state also saw heavy rain, with of precipitation measured at Nogales, at Safford, at Tucson, at Flagstaff, at Phoenix, and at Prescott. *September 1984: Hurricane Norbert entered Arizona as a weakening tropical depression. Sustained winds of were recorded in the Tucson area. Modest rainfall occurred throughout south-central to northeast Arizona, with most locations reporting between of rain. However,

Kitt Peak Kitt Peak ( ood, Ioligam) is a mountain in the U.S. state of Arizona, and at is the highest point in the Quinlan Mountains. It is the location of the Kitt Peak National Observatory. The radio telescope at the observatory is one of ten dishes co ...

reported a 30-hour storm rainfall total of . *October 1984: The following month, the remnants of Hurricane Polo caused about of rain over southern and eastern Arizona, with Nogales reporting of precipitation. *October 1989: Flash flooding produced by Hurricane Raymond caused $1.5 million (1989 USD) in damage in the state. Raymond passed over Arizona as a

, and produced heavy rainfall on the southeastern portion of the state, with of rain falling in Nogales. About three-quarters of the streets in Willcox were flooded in up to of water, and sustained winds of were reported throughout the southeastern corner of the state.

1990s

During the 1990s, several tropical systems affected Arizona even after losing all tropical characteristics. However, two hurricanes survived long enough to reach Arizona while still considered tropical systems. * June 1990: The moisture from Boris in 1990 produced of rainfall on the

Santa Rita Mountains The Santa Rita Mountains ( O'odham: To:wa Kuswo Doʼag), located about 65 km (40 mi) southeast of Tucson, Arizona, extend 42 km (26 mi) from north to south, then trending southeast. They merge again southeastwards into the Pat ...

. * August 1990: The remnants of Hurricane Diana entered Arizona and quickly dissipated, though no rainfall was report throughout the state. *August 1992: Hurricane Lester, reached the state as a tropical storm, and caused over of precipitation near Phoenix and Tucson. The center of circulation of Lester passed near Tucson on August 24, producing sustained winds of at

Tucson International Airport Tucson International Airport is a civil-military airport owned by the City of Tucson south of downtown Tucson, in Pima County, Arizona, United States. It is the second busiest airport in Arizona, after Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airp ...

; the airport also reported gusts of up to , and a drop in central barometric pressure to 999

mbar The bar is a metric unit of pressure, but not part of the International System of Units (SI). It is defined as exactly equal to 100,000 Pa (100 kPa), or slightly less than the current average atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea lev ...

(29.52 inHg). Much of the rest of the state reported over of rain as a result of Lester,. with a peak precipitation measurement of at

Cascabel Cascabel may refer to: * Cascabel (artillery), a subassembly of a muzzle-loading cannon * Cascabel chili, a small, round chili pepper * Cascabel, a Shuttle Loop roller coaster at Chapultepec Park in Mexico City * Spanish common name for ''Crotalu ...

. * August 1993: Hilary's remnants caused flash flooding in Pima County after of rain fell on Green Valley, and of precipitation was recorded at

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is a U.S. national monument and UNESCO biosphere reserve located in extreme southern Arizona that shares a border with the Mexican state of Sonora. The park is the only place in the United States where the ...

. * August 1995: Flossie's remnants dumped over of rain over Tucson; one woman died as she tried to cross a flooded stream, and 11 other motorists were stranded in the city. Damage from the storm in

totaled to $5 million (1995 USD; $ USD). * September 1995: That same year, Ismael produced most of its damage south of the state, but light rainfall fell over

Cochise County Cochise County () is a county in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. It is named after the Native American chief Cochise. The population was 125,447 at the 2020 census. The county seat is Bisbee and the most populous city is ...

, with the highest reported rainfall being . * September 1997: Hurricane Nora, the second storm to reach the state while still retaining tropical characteristics, struck the state in late September and was responsible for the 24-hour rainfall record in the state. Nora produced of rainfall over the

Harquahala Mountains The Harquahala Mountains ( Yavapai: ʼHakhe:la) are the highest mountain range in southwestern Arizona, United States and are located southwest of the towns of Aguila and Wenden. The name originated from the Yavapai 'ʼHakhe:la", which means "r ...

in Western Arizona, causing some flash flooding in the area. Near Phoenix, rainfall from the storm caused the Narrows Dam, a small

earthen dam An embankment dam is a large artificial dam. It is typically created by the placement and compaction of a complex semi-plastic mound of various compositions of soil or rock. It has a semi-pervious waterproof natural covering for its surface an ...

, to fail; localized rainfall amounts of up to occurred throughout the state. Nora also caused 12,000 people to lose electric power in Yuma. Nora is believed to be the strongest tropical storm to strike Arizona, as it produced sustained winds of over Yuma. Nora caused $150–200 million (1997

) in agricultural losses in Arizona. * August 1998: The remnants of Tropical Storm Frank produced up to of rainfall in parts of the state. *September 1998: The following month, Hurricane Isis's remnants dropped more than of rainfall across southern

, resulting in some flash flood warnings and flooding on roadways. Isis also caused up to across the Santa Catalina and

Rincon Mountains The Rincon Mountains ( O'odham: Cew Doʼag) are a significant mountain range east of Tucson, Pima County, Arizona, in the United States. The Rincon Mountains are one of five mountain ranges surrounding the Tucson valley. The other ranges include ...

that surround Tucson. However, there was no flooding reported in the area, and Tucson International Airport reported only as a result of the storm.

2000s

The last decade saw no storms reach Arizona while retaining tropical characteristics; however, numerous remnant lows caused heavy rainfall and flooding throughout the state. *October 2000: The remnants of the first system,

Tropical Storm Olivia The name Olivia has been used for ten tropical cyclones in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. * Hurricane Olivia (1967) – struck Baja California. * Hurricane Olivia (1971) – continuation of Atlantic Hurricane Irene; hit Mexico. * Hurricane Olivia (1 ...

, produced heavy flash floods in spite of Olivia losing tropical characteristics while located 600 miles (965 km) west-southwest of Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. However, after being captured by an extratropical cyclone, the remnant low produced widespread heavy rains, with of rain falling over most of southeastern Arizona; Hereford saw of rain. *October 2001: Hurricane Juliette dissipated in the Gulf of California, and brought only trace amounts of rainfall to the southern half of the state; the largest amount recorded occurred near

Patagonia Patagonia () refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and g ...

, where fell. * August 2003: Two years later, the remnants of Hurricane Ignacio produced rainfall over southern Arizona. About 40 residences in

Catalina Catalina may refer to: Arts and media * ''The Catalina'', a 2012 American reality television show * ''Catalina'' (novel), a 1948 novel by W. Somerset Maugham * Catalina (''My Name Is Earl''), character from the NBC sitcom ''My Name Is Earl'' ...

were evacuated due to the risk of flash flooding after of rainfall fell over the

Aspen Fire The Aspen Fire burned from June 17, 2003, for about a month on Mount Lemmon, part of the Santa Catalina Mountains located in the Coronado National Forest north of Tucson, Arizona, and in the surrounding area. It burned (132.4 sq mi) of land, a ...

burn area. * September 2003: That same year, Hurricane Marty brought locally heavy rains to extreme southwestern Arizona in September; in spite of this, there were no reports of flooding from the storm. The highest rain total was at

. * September 2004:

Javier Javier may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Javier, in video game ''Advance Wars: Dual Strike'' * Javier Rios, a character in the Monsters, Inc. franchise. * Javier (album), ''Javier'' (album), a 2003 album by the American singer Javier ...

produced heavy rain throughout the state, helping to alleviate a prolonged drought in the Southwestern United States. The heaviest rainfall occurred at Walnut Creek, which saw a total of of precipitation during the storm. The Tucson airport saw rainfall of , while the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory. T ...

reported of rain. The rain from Javier flooded several roads in the city and, combined with frequent

lightning Lightning is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during which two electrically charged regions, both in the atmosphere or with one on the ground, temporarily neutralize themselves, causing the instantaneous release of an avera ...

, forced the university to delay one of its football games. * July 2006: The remnants of Tropical Storm Emilia produced an influx of tropical moisture over Arizona, triggering a week-long period of disturbed weather in late July. On July 25, a slow-moving

dropped several inches of rainfall in a few hours, causing the closure of

Interstate 19 Interstate 19 (I-19) is a north–south Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of Arizona. I-19 travels from Nogales, roughly from the Mexican border, to Tucson, at I-10. The highway also travels through the cities of R ...

when a wash flooded the roadway with running water deep. The same storm also produced hail with a diameter of north of Rio Rico, and in Patagonia, and the size of a

nickel Nickel is a chemical element with symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive but large pieces are slow ...

in the Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation. The next day, another thunderstorm near Elfrida also produced hail. After one week of widespread rainfall over southeastern Arizona, extensive flooding began to occur. Mount Lemmon saw a 7-day rainfall total of ; Rillito Creek near the Catalina Mountains conveyed a record flow of . Other streams in the area also saw record flooding, and the Santa Cruz River exceeded flood stage in Marana. The floods caused $4 million (2006 USD) in damage. * September 2006: Hurricane John produced about of rain over Cochise County. * September 2007:

Hurricane Henriette The name Henriette has been used for seven tropical cyclones in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. * Hurricane Henriette (1983) – Strong Category 4 hurricane that remained offshore Mexico * Tropical Storm Henriette (1989) – Weak tropical storm th ...

also produced flooding over Cochise County the following year; one woman died after trying to cross a flooded wash near

Sierra Vista Sierra Vista is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2020 Census, the population of the city is 45,308, and is the 27th most populous city in Arizona. The city is part of the Sierra Vista-Douglas Metropolitan Are ...

. * July 2008: The remnants from Atlantic hurricane Hurricane Dolly caused rainfall in the eastern portion of the state, with falling southwest of

Portal Portal often refers to: * Portal (architecture), an opening in a wall of a building, gate or fortification, or the extremities (ends) of a tunnel Portal may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Gaming * ''Portal'' (series), two video games ...

. * August 2008: Moisture from Tropical Storm Julio developed thunderstorms across

, including one near Chandler which produced winds of ; the storm damaged ten small planes at

Chandler Municipal Airport Chandler Municipal Airport is in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, southeast of Chandler, which owns it. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a general aviation '' reliever airport''. Chand ...

, as well as a hangar. The damages at the airport were estimated at $1 million (2008

). The storms also dropped heavy rainfall, reaching over in Gilbert. * September 2009: The remnants of Hurricane Jimena moved over Arizona on September 5. Near

Walapai The Hualapai (, , yuf-x-wal, Hwalbáy) is a federally recognized Native American tribe in Arizona with about 2300 enrolled members. Approximately 1353 enrolled members reside on the Hualapai Reservation, which spans over three counties in Nort ...

, water, rock, and other debris covered many roads. In addition, several power lines were down at the Bullhead City Airport. Golf ball-sized hail ( in diameter) fell northwest of Golden Valley; a weather spotter's house received $5,000 in damage, with all of its windows broken and with damage to his

weather station A weather station is a facility, either on land or sea, with instruments and equipment for measuring atmospheric conditions to provide information for weather forecasts and to study the weather and climate. The measurements taken include tempera ...

and radio equipment. In Riviera, southwest of

, seven mobile home trails were blown with many other receiving some damage due to wind gusts. In the same area, four people were hurt and total damage was $500,000. North of Mohave Valley, mudslides caused two homes to be destroyed, with 9 others receiving moderate damage, and 16 other receiving minimal damage. Total damage was estimated to be at $600,000. In Laveen, of precipitation fell in a 90-minute period. Heavy rain was recorded in

Sedona Sedona is a city that straddles the county line between Coconino and Yavapai counties in the northern Verde Valley region of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census, its population was 10,031. It is within the Coconino National Fo ...

, thus blocking traffic on State Route 179. in Prescott, street flooding was reported, closing State Route 69 and the Emerald Trail. In

Quartzsite Quartzsite is a town in La Paz County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2020 census, the population was 2,413. Interstate 10 runs directly through Quartzsite which is at the intersection of U.S. Route 95 and Arizona State Route 95 wi ...

, washes overflowed their banks, causing street flooding, and $30,000 in damage. In Tanca, of precipitation fell within a 30-minute period, thus causing minor flooding with one road being washed out. Damage from that flood totaled $30,000. Yuma also reported of rain from the cyclone. On the afternoon of September 5, a haystack caught fire due to lighting, and was eventually responsible for an additional $20,000 in damage.

2010s

*September 3, 2013: Moisture from the remnants of Tropical Storm Juliette fueled the monsoon across the southwestern United States, producing scattered showers and thunderstorms. *September 8, 2014: The remnants of Hurricane Norbert produced record-breaking rainfall throughout the central portion of the state. Chandler received of precipitation, while Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport recorded of rainfall over a seven-hour period, breaking the 75‑year‑old daily rainfall record. It was also the highest precipitation at Sky Harbor in a single calendar day, but fell short of the station's 24‑hour rainfall total. Accumulations in Chandler and

Mesa A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas characteristically consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks capped by a ...

were deemed to be a 1-in-1,000 year event while Phoenix was calculated to be a 1-in-200 year event. Two women died, one in

Pinal County Pinal County is in the central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. According to the 2020 census, the population of the county was 425,264, making it Arizona's third-most populous county. The county seat is Florence. The county was founded in 187 ...

and one in

Tucson , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

; both were swept away by floodwaters in their vehicles. Waters in Tucson reached as deep as . Total damage in Maricopa and La Paz Counties amounted to $17.4 million. *September 18, 2014: The remnants of

Hurricane Odile Hurricane Odile is tied for the most intense landfalling tropical cyclone in the Baja California Peninsula during the satellite era. Sweeping across the peninsula in September 2014, Odile inflicted widespread damage, particularly in the ...

brought heavy rainfall to southeastern Arizona. *June 5, 2015: The remnants of

Hurricane Andres The name Andres has been used for eight tropical cyclones in the Eastern Pacific Ocean: * Hurricane Andres (1979), made landfall in Mexico as a tropical depression. * Tropical Storm Andres (1985), formed near the Mexican coast but moved out to sea ...

brought thunderstorms to Arizona, with

having measurable precipitation on that day for the first time since records began in 1896. *June 9, 2015: Just four days after Andres brought record-breaking rain to the Desert Southwest, another low-pressure system containing the remnants of

Hurricane Blanca The name Blanca has been used for eleven tropical cyclones in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. * Hurricane Blanca (1966), never affected land, travelled 4,300 miles during its lifetime. * Tropical Storm Blanca (1970), did not make landfall. * Tropical St ...

brought more record-breaking rainfall to many Arizona cities, including Tucson and Yuma. *July 18, 2015: Some of Hurricane Dolores's moisture and remnants were directed into Arizona, bringing showers and thunderstorms. Up to 1 inch of rain was recorded in some places. The heavy rain triggered some flash floods and mudslides near Phoenix. *October 1–2, 2018: Hurricane Rosa which at that time was a tropical storm approaching Baja California, left massive rainfall within these two days. More than 2 inches of rain was recorded in some places. Many places were covered with water, some flash floods.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arizona Hurricanes Lists of tropical cyclones in the United States Arizona Hurr Atlantic hurricanes