List of Arizona hurricanes - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...

has been affected by hurricanes

Tropical cyclone

A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...

on numerous occasions. Usually, these storms originate in the eastern Pacific Ocean, make landfall in the Mexican

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

states of Baja California

Baja California

Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...

or Sonora

Sonora

Sonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo....

, 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 or a tropical depression. Arizonans can expect indirect flash flood

Flash flood

A flash flood is a rapid flooding of geomorphic low-lying areas—washes, rivers, dry lakes and basins. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a storm, hurricane, or tropical storm or meltwater from ice or snow flowing over ice sheets or snowfields...

s 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

Trade wind

The trade winds are the prevailing pattern of easterly surface winds found in the tropics, within the lower portion of the Earth's atmosphere, in the lower section of the troposphere near the Earth's equator...

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; an Atlantic hurricane in 2008 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

Colorado River

The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...

. Arizona hurricanes are also responsible for torrential rains in localized areas, with the state's 24-hour rainfall record—11.97 inches (304 mm) of precipitation—occurring during Hurricane Nora

Hurricane Nora (1997)

Hurricane Nora was only the third tropical cyclone on record to reach Arizona as a tropical storm. Nora was the fourteenth named tropical cyclone and seventh hurricane of the 1997 Pacific hurricane season...

's landfall

Landfall (meteorology)

Landfall is the event of a tropical cyclone or a waterspout coming onto land after being over water. When a waterspout makes landfall it is reclassified as a tornado, which can then cause damage inland...

in 1997. The heavy rainfall can trigger extensive flash floods, such as the ones produced by the remnants of Tropical Storm Octave

October 1983 Southwest United States floods

October 1983 Southwest United States floods was a flood that most significantly impacted Arizona and New Mexico. It occurred through the interaction of the remnants of Pacific tropical storm Octave, as well as a stalled low pressure area off the west coast of California. The combination contributed...

in 1983, or the lingering moisture from Tropical Storm Emilia

Tropical Storm Emilia (2006)

Tropical Storm Emilia was a rare tropical cyclone that affected the Baja California peninsula in July 2006. The sixth tropical depression and fifth tropical storm of the 2006 Pacific hurricane season, it developed on July 21 about 400 miles off the coast of Mexico...

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 flood

Flash flood

s 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

Trough (meteorology)

A trough is an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with fronts.Unlike fronts, there is not a universal symbol for a trough on a weather chart. The weather charts in some countries or regions mark troughs by a line. In the United States, a trough may be marked...

. 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

North American Monsoon

The North American monsoon, variously known as the Southwest United States monsoon, the Mexican monsoon, or the Arizona monsoon, is experienced as a pronounced increase in rainfall from an extremely dry June to a rainy July over large areas of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico...

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

North American Monsoon

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

style="border: 1px #aaa solid; padding: 0.2em; background:#ccf;"| **Chronology of tropical cyclones in Arizona**
Storm	Peak intensity Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale , or the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , classifies hurricanes — Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms — into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...	Season	Intensity
Unnamed	0 Unknown	1921	1 Remnant low
Unnamed	0 Unknown	1921	10 Tropical depression
Unnamed	0 Unknown	1926	1 Remnant low
Unnamed	0 Unknown	1927	1 Remnant low
One	100 Category 1	1929 1929 Atlantic hurricane season The 1929 Atlantic hurricane season ran through the summer and the first half of fall in 1929. It was a mostly quiet season in the Atlantic as only five tropical cyclones formed during the season, with the distance between the first and second storms being nearly three months...	20 Tropical depression
Unnamed	0 Unknown	1935	20 Tropical storm
Unnamed	20 Tropical storm	1951	20 Tropical storm
Unnamed	100 Category 1	1958	20 Tropical storm
Claudia	20 Tropical storm	1962	20 Tropical storm
Tillie	20 Tropical storm	1964	1 Remnant low
Emily	100 Category 1	1965	1 Remnant low
Kirsten	20 Tropical storm	1967	1 Remnant low
Katrina	100 Category 1	1967	20 Tropical storm
Hyacinth	20 Tropical storm	1968	10 Tropical depression
Pauline Hurricane Pauline (1968) Hurricane Pauline was the deadliest hurricane of the 1968 Pacific hurricane season. Forming from a disturbance in the Intertropical Convergence Zone on September 26 and becoming a tropical storm on September 29, the hurricane strengthened to a peak of as a Category 1 hurricane on...	100 Category 1	1968	1 Remnant low
Norma Tropical Storm Norma (1970) Tropical Storm Norma was the fourteenth named tropical cyclone of the 1970 Pacific hurricane season. The storm formed off the coast of Mexico and intensified rapidly, peaking as a strong tropical storm on September 3 before starting a weakening trend which saw it dissipate before making landfall on...	20 Tropical storm	1970	1 Remnant low
Irene-Olivia Hurricane Irene–Olivia Hurricane Irene–Olivia was the first actively tracked tropical cyclone which moved into the eastern Pacific Ocean from the Atlantic basin. It originated as a tropical depression on September 11, 1971, in the tropical Atlantic. The cyclone tracked nearly due westward at a low latitude, passing...	300 Category 3	1971	1 Remnant low
Joanne	200 Category 2	1972	10 Tropical storm
Kathleen Hurricane Kathleen (1976) Hurricane Kathleen was a hurricane of the 1976 Pacific hurricane season that caused destructive impacts in California. Kathleen caused widespread flooding and damage in northern Mexico and parts of the southwestern United States. It also took an unusual path. On September 7, a tropical depression...	100 Category 1	1976	20 Tropical storm
Liza Hurricane Liza (1976) Hurricane Liza was one of the deadliest East Pacific tropical cyclones on record. The seventeenth tropical cyclone, thirteenth named storm, and the eight hurricane of the 1976 Pacific hurricane season, Liza developed from an area of disturbed weather to the southwest of Mexico on September 25...	400 Category 4	1976	1 Remnant low
Doreen	100 Category 1	1977	20 Tropical storm
Heather	100 Category 1	1977	10 Tropical depression
Octave	20 Tropical storm	1983	20 Tropical storm
Norbert	400 Category 4	1984	10 Tropical depression
Polo	300 Category 3	1984	1 Remnant low
Raymond	300 Category 3	1989	10 Tropical depression
Boris	100 Category 1	1990	1 Remnant low
Lester Hurricane Lester (1992) Hurricane Lester was the first Pacific tropical cyclone to enter the United States as a tropical storm since 1967. The twelfth named storm and seventh hurricane of the 1992 Pacific hurricane season, Lester formed on August 20 from a tropical wave southwest of Mexico. The tropical storm moved...	100 Category 1	1992	20 Tropical storm
Hilary	300 Category 3	1993	1 Remnant low
Flossie	100 Category 1	1995	1 Remnant low
Ismael Hurricane Ismael Hurricane Ismael was a weak, but deadly Pacific hurricane that killed over one hundred people in northern Mexico in September of the 1995 Pacific hurricane season. It developed from a persistent area of deep convection on September 12, and steadily strengthened as it moved to the north-northwest...	100 Category 1	1995	1 Remnant low
Nora Hurricane Nora (1997) Hurricane Nora was only the third tropical cyclone on record to reach Arizona as a tropical storm. Nora was the fourteenth named tropical cyclone and seventh hurricane of the 1997 Pacific hurricane season...	400 Category 4	1997	20 Tropical storm
Frank	20 Tropical storm	1998	1 Remnant low
Isis Hurricane Isis (1998) Hurricane Isis was the deadliest tropical cyclone and only hurricane to make landfall during the 1998 Pacific hurricane season. The ninth tropical storm and sixth hurricane of the season, Isis developed on September 1 from the interaction between a tropical wave and a large surface circulation to...	100 Category 1	1998	1 Remnant low
Olivia	20 Tropical storm	2000	1 Remnant low
Juliette Hurricane Juliette (2001) Hurricane Juliette was a long lasting Category 4 hurricane in the 2001 Pacific hurricane season. It caused 12 deaths and $400 million in damage when it hit Baja California in late September.-Meteorological history:...	400 Category 4	2001	1 Remnant low
Ignacio Hurricane Ignacio (2003) Hurricane Ignacio was the latest-forming first hurricane of a Pacific hurricane season since reliable satellite observation began in 1966. The ninth tropical storm of the 2003 Pacific hurricane season, Ignacio developed out of a tropical wave on August 22 a short distance off the coast of Mexico...	200 Category 2	2003	1 Remnant low
Marty Hurricane Marty (2003) Hurricane Marty was the deadliest tropical cyclone of the 2003 Pacific hurricane season. Forming on September 18, it became the 13th tropical storm and fourth hurricane of the year...	200 Category 2	2003	1 Remnant low
Javier Hurricane Javier (2004) Hurricane Javier was the tenth named storm and the sixth and final hurricane of the 2004 Pacific hurricane season. Javier was also the strongest hurricane of the 2004 season, with 150 mph winds and a central pressure of 930 millibars...	400 Category 4	2004	1 Remnant low
Emilia Tropical Storm Emilia (2006) Tropical Storm Emilia was a rare tropical cyclone that affected the Baja California peninsula in July 2006. The sixth tropical depression and fifth tropical storm of the 2006 Pacific hurricane season, it developed on July 21 about 400 miles off the coast of Mexico...	20 Tropical storm	2006	1 Remnant low
John Hurricane John (2006) Hurricane John was the eleventh named storm, seventh hurricane, and fifth major hurricane of the 2006 Pacific hurricane season. Hurricane John developed on August 28 from a tropical wave to the south of Mexico. Favorable conditions allowed the storm to intensify quickly, and it attained peak winds...	400 Category 4	2006	1 Remnant low
Henriette Hurricane Henriette (2007) Hurricane Henriette was the deadliest tropical cyclone of the 2007 Pacific hurricane season. The storm, which caused nine fatalities, formed from an area of disturbed weather on August 30, 2007, and became a tropical storm the next day. The cyclone moved parallel to the Mexican Pacific coast, but...	100 Category 1	2007	1 Remnant low
Dolly Hurricane Dolly (2008) Hurricane Dolly was a tropical cyclone that made landfall in extreme southern Texas in July 2008. Dolly was the fourth tropical cyclone and second hurricane to form during the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the first U.S. landfalling hurricane of the 2008 season. Dolly developed on July 20...	200 Category 2	2008 2008 Atlantic hurricane season The 2008 Atlantic hurricane season was a very active hurricane season with sixteen named storms formed, including eight that became hurricanes and five that became major hurricanes. The season officially started on June 1 and ended on November 30. These dates conventionally delimit the period of...	1 Remnant low
Julio Tropical Storm Julio (2008) Tropical Storm Julio was a tropical storm that made landfall on the southern tip of Baja California Sur in August 2008. The tenth named storm of the 2008 Pacific hurricane season, it developed from a tropical wave on August 23 off the coast of Mexico. It moved parallel to the coast, reaching peak...	20 Tropical storm	2008	1 Remnant low
Jimena Hurricane Jimena (2009) Hurricane Jimena was a Category 4 storm that is tied with Hurricane Norbert as the strongest tropical cyclone to make landfall on western Baja California. Forming from a tropical wave late on August 28, off Mexico's Pacific coast, the system rapidly intensified into a Category 2...	400 Category 4	2009	1 Remnant low

Storm systems

class="navbox-title" style="border: 1px #aaa solid; padding: 0.2em;"| **Wettest tropical cyclones, and their remnants, in Arizona**
Highest known recorded totals
Precipitation			Storm		Measurement station
Rank	(mm)	(in)	Storm		Measurement station
1	305.1 mm	12.01 in	Nora Hurricane Nora (1997) Hurricane Nora was only the third tropical cyclone on record to reach Arizona as a tropical storm. Nora was the fourteenth named tropical cyclone and seventh hurricane of the 1997 Pacific hurricane season...	1997 1997 Pacific hurricane season The 1997 Pacific hurricane season was a very active hurricane season. With hundreds of deaths and billions of dollars in damage, this season was the costliest and one of the deadliest Pacific hurricane seasons. This was due to a strong El Niño...	Harquahala Mountain
2	304.8 mm	12.00 in	Octave	1983 1983 Pacific hurricane season The 1983 Pacific hurricane season officially started May 15, 1983 in the eastern Pacific, and June 1, 1983 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 1983. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northeastern Pacific Ocean.This...	Mount Graham
3	210.8 mm	8.30 in	Heather	1977 1977 Pacific hurricane season The 1977 Pacific hurricane season was, at the time, the least active in recorded history. Only eight tropical storms formed, and four hurricanes; they would be tied and surpassed, respectively, by the 2010 Pacific hurricane season. There were no major hurricanes; the next time this happened would...	Nogales Nogales, Arizona Nogales is a city in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. The population was 21,017 at the 2010 census. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 20,833. The city is the county seat of Santa Cruz County....
4	178.1 mm	7.01 in	Doreen	1977 1977 Pacific hurricane season The 1977 Pacific hurricane season was, at the time, the least active in recorded history. Only eight tropical storms formed, and four hurricanes; they would be tied and surpassed, respectively, by the 2010 Pacific hurricane season. There were no major hurricanes; the next time this happened would...	Yuma Valley
5	177.8 mm	7.00 in	Javier Hurricane Javier (2004) Hurricane Javier was the tenth named storm and the sixth and final hurricane of the 2004 Pacific hurricane season. Javier was also the strongest hurricane of the 2004 season, with 150 mph winds and a central pressure of 930 millibars...	2004 2004 Pacific hurricane season The 2004 Pacific hurricane season officially started on May 15, 2004 in the eastern Pacific, and on June 1, 2004 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 2004...	Walnut Creek
6	133.9 mm	5.27 in	Lester Hurricane Lester (1992) Hurricane Lester was the first Pacific tropical cyclone to enter the United States as a tropical storm since 1967. The twelfth named storm and seventh hurricane of the 1992 Pacific hurricane season, Lester formed on August 20 from a tropical wave southwest of Mexico. The tropical storm moved...	1992 1992 Pacific hurricane season The 1992 Pacific hurricane season was the most active Pacific hurricane season on record. The most notable storm was Hurricane Iniki, which caused billions of dollars of damage to the Hawaiian Islands. Hurricanes Lester, Virgil, Winifred, and Orlene also made landfall and killed several people, but...	Irving
7	96.0 mm	3.78 in	Raymond	1989 1989 Pacific hurricane season -Tropical Storm Adolph:The first storm of the season developed out of a weak area of low pressure situated about 570 mi south-southwest of Acapulco, Mexico. Tracking towards the west, the circluation briefly dissipated on May 30, before redeveloping the following day into Tropical...	Santa Rita Experiment Range
8	83.3 mm	3.28 in	Boris	1990 1990 Pacific hurricane season The 1990 Pacific hurricane season is the fifth most active season on record. The 1990 season officially started on May 15 in the eastern Pacific, and on June 1 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical...	Santa Rita Experiment Range
9	72.9 mm	2.87 in	Kathleen Hurricane Kathleen (1976) Hurricane Kathleen was a hurricane of the 1976 Pacific hurricane season that caused destructive impacts in California. Kathleen caused widespread flooding and damage in northern Mexico and parts of the southwestern United States. It also took an unusual path. On September 7, a tropical depression...	1976 1976 Pacific hurricane season The 1976 Pacific hurricane season was a very deadly and costly one. Hurricanes Kathleen, Liza, and Madeline were the most notable storms this year. Hurricane Kathleen caused death and destruction in California and Arizona due to flooding. Hurricane Liza was the deadliest storm of the season when it...	Davis Dam #2
10	71.9 mm	2.83 in	Marty Hurricane Marty (2003) Hurricane Marty was the deadliest tropical cyclone of the 2003 Pacific hurricane season. Forming on September 18, it became the 13th tropical storm and fourth hurricane of the year...	2003 2003 Pacific hurricane season The 2003 Pacific hurricane season produced an unusually large number of tropical cyclones which affected Mexico. The most notable cyclones the year were Hurricanes Ignacio and Marty, which killed 2 and 12 people in Mexico, respectively, and were collectively responsible for about...	Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument 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 which shares a border with the Mexican state of Sonora. The park is the only place in the United States where the Organ Pipe Cactus grows wild...

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

Pacific hurricane

A Pacific hurricane or tropical storm is a tropical cyclone that develops in the northeastern part of the Pacific Ocean. For organizational purposes, the northern Pacific Ocean is divided into three regions: the eastern, , central , and western...

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 Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...

valley, with 3.65 inches (92.7 mm) of rain reported in Yuma
Yuma, Arizona
Yuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. It is located in the southwestern corner of the state, and the population of the city was 77,515 at the 2000 census, with a 2008 Census Bureau estimated population of 90,041....

. Throughout the state, Flagstaff
Flagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff is a city located in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. In 2010, the city's population was 65,870. The population of the Metropolitan Statistical Area was at 134,421 in 2010. It is the county seat of Coconino County...

saw 1.5 inches (38.1 mm) of rainfall, while 1.24 inches (31.5 mm) of precipitation fell in Prescott
Prescott, Arizona
Prescott is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, USA. It was designated "Arizona's Christmas City" by Arizona Governor Rose Mofford in the late 1980s....

, 0.68 inches (17.3 mm) in Tucson
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...

, and 0.56 inches (14.2 mm) in Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...

.
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 5 inches (127 mm) of rain in the vicinity of Douglas
Douglas, Arizona
Douglas is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. Douglas has a border crossing with Mexico and a history of mining.The population was 14,312 at the 2000 census...

.
September 1927: The remnants of another tropical system caused 1 – of rainfall throughout the state.
June 1929: The Atlantic hurricane reanalysis
Atlantic hurricane reanalysis
Atlantic hurricane reanalysis is an ongoing project within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration which seeks to correct and add new information about past Atlantic tropical cyclones...

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 5.61 inches (142.5 mm) 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 5 inches (127 mm) 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. 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 Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...

moved over the state, producing more than 5 inches (127 mm) of precipitation over southwestern Arizona. Flagstaff saw 4 inches (101.6 mm) of rain, with similar totals measured at Prescott (3.95 inches (100.3 mm)) and Phoenix (3.24 inches (82.3 mm)). The storm also washed out several roadways near Gila Bend
Gila Bend, Arizona
Gila Bend , 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 close to but not precisely at the community's current location...

, isolating the city from motorists. Overall, the storm caused $750,000 (1951 USD) 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
1962 Pacific hurricane season
The 1962 Pacific hurricane season was a moderately active Pacific hurricane season that included two hurricane landfalls. The first, Hurricane Valerie, struck northwestern Mexico in June. The other, Hurricane Doreen, hit further to the north of Valerie in October...

caused severe flash floods in the vicinity of Tucson, with 5 to 7 in (127 to 177.8 mm) of precipitation falling over the headwaters of the Santa Rosa, Jackrabbit, and Brawley Washes
Arroyo (creek)
An arroyo , a Spanish word translated as brook, and also called a wash is usually a dry creek or stream bed—gulch that temporarily or seasonally fills and flows after sufficient rain. Wadi is a similar term in Africa. In Spain, a rambla has a similar meaning to arroyo.-Types and processes:Arroyos...

during a 14–15 hour period. Over 7 inches (177.8 mm) of rainfall also fell near the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a museum and zoo founded in 1952 and located in Tucson, Arizona. It contains a museum and two miles of walking paths on of this property, and is one of the most visited attractions in Tucson...

. The ensuing flood of the Santa Cruz River and its tributaries produced a path of destruction about 100 miles (160.9 km) long and up to 8 miles (12.9 km) wide. Santa Rosa Wash conveyed 53100 cuft/s at its peak; Los Robles Wash carried up to 32600 cuft/s, while the Santa Cruz River proper peaked at 9200 cuft/s. The washes and rivers reached depths of up to 20 feet (6.1 m), and overflowed its banks in places by 1 to 6 ft (0.3048 to 1.8 m). Flooding from the storm inundated the towns of Marana
Marana, Arizona
Marana is a town in Pima County, Arizona, located northwest of Tucson, with a small portion in Pinal County. According to the 2010 census, the population of the town is 34,961...

and Sells
Sells, Arizona
Sells is a census-designated place in Pima County, Arizona, United States. The population was 2,799 at the 2000 census. It is the capital of the Tohono O'odham Nation and the home of several of their tribal businesses, such as Tohono O'Odham Ki:Ki Association...

, both in Pima County
Pima County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*74.3% White*3.5% Black*3.3% Native American*2.6% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.7% Two or more races*12.4% Other races*34.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

. Total damage in Pima and Pinal
Pinal County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*72.4% White*4.6% Black*5.6% Native American*1.7% Asian*0.4% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.8% Two or more races*11.5% Other races*28.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

Counties exceeded $11 million (1962 USD).

September 1964: The next storm to affect the state was Tropical Storm Tillie in 1964. Although the storm remained at sea, its residual moisture was advected over southern Arizona, allowing a passing cold front
Cold front
A cold front is defined as the leading edge of a cooler mass of air, replacing a warmer mass of air.-Development of cold front:The cooler and denser air wedges under the less-dense warmer air, lifting it...

to trigger widespread showers and thunderstorms on the evening of September 9. Tucson received 3.05 inches (77.5 mm) 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, Arizona
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 south of Tucson...

—recorded 6.75 inches (171.5 mm) of precipitation. Coupled with rain during the previous week, the Santa Cruz River produced heavy runoff, with peak flows of 15900 cuft/s recorded near Cortaro
Cortaro, Arizona
Cortaro is an unincorporated community in Pima County, Arizona, United States. Cortaro is located along Interstate 10 northwest of Tucson. Cortaro has a post office with ZIP code 85652....

.
September 1965: The following year, the remnants of Hurricane Emily
1965 Pacific hurricane season
Early on the morning of June 17, a tropical depression formed 185 miles west of Puerto Angel, Mexico. The depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Wallie. Meanwhile, Wallie was at its peak intensity of 50 mph . Wallie headed northwest and degenerated into an area of low pressure just off...

crossed into Arizona from Baja California. Any damage from the storm is not known.
September 1966: The remnants of Kirsten caused 1.26 inches (32 mm) of rainfall in Nogales
Nogales, Arizona
Nogales is a city in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. The population was 21,017 at the 2010 census. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 20,833. The city is the county seat of Santa Cruz County....

.
August 1967: Hurricane Katrina brought heavy rainfall into the southern portion of the state as a tropical depression. The decaying storm produced about 2 inches (50.8 mm) of rainfall across southern Arizona. The peak recorded rainfall occurred at Wellton
Wellton, Arizona
Wellton is a town in Yuma County, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 1,862. It is part of the Yuma Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Wellton is located at ....

, where 4.78 inches (121.4 mm) were measured between September 1 and 2. Yuma recorded 1.88 inches (47.8 mm) 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
1968 Pacific hurricane season
The 1968 Pacific hurricane season ties the record for having the most active August in terms of tropical storms. It officially started on May 15, 1968 in the eastern Pacific and June 1 in the central Pacific and lasted until November 30, 1968...

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 (1968)
Hurricane Pauline was the deadliest hurricane of the 1968 Pacific hurricane season. Forming from a disturbance in the Intertropical Convergence Zone on September 26 and becoming a tropical storm on September 29, the hurricane strengthened to a peak of as a Category 1 hurricane on...

, which added high amounts of moisture ahead of a cold front in early October. The added instability
Atmospheric instability
Atmospheric instability is a condition where the atmosphere is generally considered to be unstable and as a result the weather is subject to a high degree of variability through distance and time...

in the atmosphere allowed the cold front to produce severe thunderstorms, including an F2 tornado
Fujita scale
The Fujita scale , or Fujita-Pearson scale, is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation...

that wrecked several homes and caused $250,000 (1968 USD) in damage when it touched down in Glendale
Glendale, Arizona
Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city is 226,721....

.

1970s

September 1970: The remnants of Tropical Storm Norma
Tropical Storm Norma (1970)
Tropical Storm Norma was the fourteenth named tropical cyclone of the 1970 Pacific hurricane season. The storm formed off the coast of Mexico and intensified rapidly, peaking as a strong tropical storm on September 3 before starting a weakening trend which saw it dissipate before making landfall on...

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 2 to 5 in (50.8 to 127 mm) of rainfall, and mountainous locations saw between 8 to 11.4 in (203.2 to 289.6 mm). Much of the region saw extensive flash flooding that killed 23 people and caused significant damage.
October 1971: The following year, Hurricane Olivia
Hurricane Irene–Olivia
Hurricane Irene–Olivia was the first actively tracked tropical cyclone which moved into the eastern Pacific Ocean from the Atlantic basin. It originated as a tropical depression on September 11, 1971, in the tropical Atlantic. The cyclone tracked nearly due westward at a low latitude, passing...

produced over 2 inches (50.8 mm) of rainfall across Arizona, triggering flash flood warnings throughout the region. Pinal Ranch reported 5.33 inches (135.4 mm) of precipitation, while Mount Lemmon
Mount Lemmon
Mount Lemmon is in the Santa Catalina Mountains located in the Coronado National Forest north of Tucson, Arizona, United States. It is above sea-level, and receives approximately 180 inches of snow annually. Mount Lemmon was named in honor of botanist Sarah Lemmon, who trekked to the top of...

measured 3.81 inches (96.8 mm). 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
U.S. Route 95
U.S. Route 95 is a north–south U.S. highway in the western United States. Unlike many other US highways, it has not seen deletion or replacement on most of its length by an encroaching Interstate highway corridor, due to its mostly rural course...

. In Navajo
Navajo County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*49.3% White*0.9% Black*43.4% Native American*0.5% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.5% Two or more races*3.3% Other races*10.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

and Pinal
Pinal County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*72.4% White*4.6% Black*5.6% Native American*1.7% Asian*0.4% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.8% Two or more races*11.5% Other races*28.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

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 entered Arizona as a tropical storm before dissipating near Flagstaff
Flagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff is a city located in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. In 2010, the city's population was 65,870. The population of the Metropolitan Statistical Area was at 134,421 in 2010. It is the county seat of Coconino County...

. Many areas of the state received between 1 to 3 in (25.4 to 76.2 mm) of rainfall, with isolated locations receiving over 5 inches (127 mm). 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 USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

) in property damage and eight deaths.
September 1976: On September 11, Hurricane Kathleen
Hurricane Kathleen (1976)
Hurricane Kathleen was a hurricane of the 1976 Pacific hurricane season that caused destructive impacts in California. Kathleen caused widespread flooding and damage in northern Mexico and parts of the southwestern United States. It also took an unusual path. On September 7, a tropical depression...

entered southern California, producing tropical-storm-force winds over western and possibly southern Arizona. Yuma reported maximum sustained wind
Maximum sustained wind
The maximum sustained winds associated with a tropical cyclone are a common indicator of the intensity of the storm. Within a mature tropical cyclone, they are found within the eyewall at a distance defined as the radius of maximum wind, or RMW. Unlike gusts, the value of these winds are...

s of 57 miles per hour (91.7 km/h) and gusts of 76 miles per hour (122.3 km/h) 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, 2.87 inches (72.9 mm) fell at the Davis Dam
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 U.S. Bureau of Reclamation from 1914 to 1932...

on the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...

.
October 1976: The next month, Hurricane Liza
Hurricane Liza (1976)
Hurricane Liza was one of the deadliest East Pacific tropical cyclones on record. The seventeenth tropical cyclone, thirteenth named storm, and the eight hurricane of the 1976 Pacific hurricane season, Liza developed from an area of disturbed weather to the southwest of Mexico on September 25...

brought light rain to the state, with the state maximum being 1.48 inches (37.6 mm) on Willow Beach.

August 1977: Hurricane Doreen caused severe flooding in Yuma County
Yuma County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*70.4% White*2.0% Black*1.6% Native American*1.2% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.8% Two or more races*20.8% Other races*59.7% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

and near Bullhead City. A rain gauge near the city of Yuma saw more than 7 inches (177.8 mm) of precipitation during the storm.
October 1977: The remnants of Hurricane Heather caused 8.3 inches (210.8 mm) of rain in Nogales
Nogales, Arizona
Nogales is a city in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. The population was 21,017 at the 2010 census. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 20,833. The city is the county seat of Santa Cruz County....

. Extensive bank erosion
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....

occurred across southeastern Arizona, as rivers crested over their 100-year flood
100-year flood
A one-hundred-year flood is calculated to be the level of flood water expected to be equaled or exceeded every 100 years on average. The 100-year flood is more accurately referred to as the 1% annual exceedance probability flood, since it is a flood that has a 1% chance of being equaled or exceeded...

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
Mount Graham is a mountain in southeastern Arizona in the United States, in the Coronado National Forest. It is the highest mountain in the Pinaleño Mountains. As the name "Mount Graham" is often used by locals to refer to the entire mountain range, the peak itself is frequently referred to as...

, which saw 12 inches (304.8 mm) of rain overall. The downpour caused record floods in the San Francisco
San Francisco River
The San Francisco River is a river in the southwest United States, the largest tributary of the Upper Gila River. The river originates in Arizona and flows into New Mexico before it curves around and enters the Gila down stream from Clifton, Arizona....

, Gila
Gila River
The Gila River is a tributary of the Colorado River, 650 miles long, in the southwestern states of New Mexico and Arizona.-Description:...

, San Pedro
San Pedro River (Arizona)
San Pedro River is a northward-flowing stream originating about ten miles south of Sierra Vista, Arizona near Cananea, Sonora, Mexico. It is one of only two rivers which flow north from Mexico into the United States. The river flows north through Cochise County, Pima County, Graham County, and...

, and Santa Cruz rivers. The latter breached its banks near Red Rock, and by its intersection with Interstate 8
Interstate 8
Interstate 8 is an Interstate Highway in the southwestern United States. It runs from the southern edge of Mission Bay at Sunset Cliffs Blvd, in San Diego, California, almost at the Pacific Ocean, to the junction with Interstate 10, just southeast of Casa Grande, Arizona...

, had flooded an area over 8 miles (12.9 km) 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 9.83 inches (249.7 mm) of precipitation measured at Nogales
Nogales, Arizona
Nogales is a city in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. The population was 21,017 at the 2010 census. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 20,833. The city is the county seat of Santa Cruz County....

, 6.67 inches (169.4 mm) at Safford
Safford, Arizona
- History :Safford was founded by Joshua Eaton Bailey, Hiram Kennedy and Edward Tuttle, who came from Gila Bend, in southwestern Arizona. They left Gila Bend in the winter of 1873-74; their work on canals and dams having been destroyed by high water the previous summer...

, 6.4 inches (162.6 mm) at Tucson, 3.93 inches (99.8 mm) at Flagstaff
Flagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff is a city located in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. In 2010, the city's population was 65,870. The population of the Metropolitan Statistical Area was at 134,421 in 2010. It is the county seat of Coconino County...

, 2.65 inches (67.3 mm) at Phoenix, and 2.62 inches (66.5 mm) at Prescott.

September 1984: Hurricane Norbert entered Arizona as a weakening tropical depression. Sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph (32.2 to 48.3 km/h) were recorded in the Tucson area. Modest rainfall occurred throughout south-central to northeast Arizona, with most locations reporting between 1 to 2 in (25.4 to 50.8 mm) of rain. However, Kitt Peak
Kitt Peak
Kitt Peak is a mountain in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the location of the Kitt Peak National Observatory. The radio telescope at the Observatory is one of ten dishes comprising the Very Long Baseline Array ....

reported a 30-hour storm rainfall total of 4.15 inches (105.4 mm).
October 1984: The following month, the remnants of Hurricane Polo caused about 1 inches (25.4 mm) of rain over southern and eastern Arizona, with Nogales reporting 1.93 inches (49 mm) of precipitation.
October 1989: Flash flood
Flash flood
A flash flood is a rapid flooding of geomorphic low-lying areas—washes, rivers, dry lakes and basins. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a storm, hurricane, or tropical storm or meltwater from ice or snow flowing over ice sheets or snowfields...

ing produced by Hurricane Raymond
Hurricane Raymond (1989)
Hurricane Raymond was the strongest tropical cyclone of the 1989 Pacific hurricane season, peaking as a strong Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. Forming out of a tropical wave on September 25, the tropical depression slowly tracked northwest before becoming nearly...

caused $1.5 million (1989 USD) in damage in the state. Raymond passed over Arizona as a tropical depression, and produced heavy rainfall on the southeastern portion of the state, with 4.72 inches (119.9 mm) of rain falling in Nogales. About three-quarters of the streets in Willcox
Willcox, Arizona
Willcox is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 3,769. Professional wrestler Ted Dibiase lived his formative years in Willcox, as did singer Tanya Tucker.-History:...

were flooded in up to 2 foot (0.6096 m) of water, and sustained winds of 25 mile per hour 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