An
Arizona hurricane is a
tropical cycloneA 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 feed on heat released when moist air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor contained in the moist air...
originating in the eastern
Pacific OceanThe Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Tepre Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. It extends from the Arctic in the north to Antarctica in the south, bounded by Asia and...
that affects the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of
ArizonaThe State of Arizona is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. The capital and largest city is Phoenix. The second largest city is Tucson, followed in size by the four Phoenix metropolitan area cities of Mesa, Glendale, Chandler, and Scottsdale.Arizona was the 48th and...
. Usually, the storm makes landfall in the
MexicanThe 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 CaliforniaBaja California is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North Territory of Baja California. It has an area of , or 3.57% of the land mass of Mexico and comprises the northern half of the Baja California peninsula, north...
or
SonoraSonora is a state in northwestern Mexico with an area of 182,052 square kilometers, making it around the size of Syria. It is surrounded by the states of Baja California and the Sea of Cortez to the west, Chihuahua to the east, Sinaloa to the south, and Arizona to the north.The capital is...
and the remaining moisture affects the state. However, a few storms have crossed into Arizona still with tropical storm strength.
Tropical storms in Arizona are infrequent, since the predominant storm track carries 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. However, Arizona still can expect experiencing the effects of tropical cyclones once every five years, in average. Many, but not all, of these systems also impacted California.
Storms
Tropical storms are one of Arizona's main sources of rainfall, and they infuse the
monsoonA pennis is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by seasonal changes in precipitation, but now is used to describe seasonal changes atmospheric circulation and precipitation The major monsoon systems of the world consist of the African and Asia-Australian monsoons...
over the southwestern United States. 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.
| Storm |
Peak intensityThe Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale is a classification used for most Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms. The scale divides hurricanes into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
|
Season |
Intensity |
Date |
| Unnamed |
| 1921 |
Remnant low |
August 20, 1921 |
| Unnamed |
| 1921 |
Tropical depression |
September 30, 1921 |
| Unnamed |
| 1926 |
Remnant low |
September 20, 1926 |
| Unnamed |
| 1927 |
Remnant low |
September 7, 1927 |
| Unnamed |
| 1935 |
Tropical storm |
August 22, 1935 |
| Unnamed |
| 1951 |
Tropical storm |
August 3, 1951 |
| Unnamed |
| 1958 |
Tropical storm |
October 6, 1958 |
| Claudia |
| 1962 |
Tropical storm |
September 25, 1962 |
| Emily |
| 1965 |
Remnant low |
September 6, 1965 |
| Katrina |
| 1967 |
Tropical storm |
August 29, 1967 |
| Hyacinth |
| 1968 |
Tropical depression |
August 20, 1968 |
NormaTropical 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...
|
| 1970 |
Remnant Low |
Labor day |
| Joanne |
| 1972 |
Tropical storm |
October 4, 1972 |
| Kathleen Hurricane Kathleen was a tropical cyclone of the 1976 Pacific hurricane season. Though rather weak, only a Category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, it was very destructive. Kathleen caused widespread flooding and damage in northern Mexico and parts of the southwestern United States...
|
| 1976 |
Tropical storm |
September 10, 1976 |
LizaHurricane Liza of the 1976 Pacific hurricane season was a devastating tropical cyclone that killed over 600 people in northern Mexico. Forming southwest of Mexico in late September, Liza moved generally northward striking the western coast of mainland Mexico early in October, becoming one of the...
|
| 1976 |
Remnant low |
October 2, 1976 |
| Doreen |
| 1977 |
Tropical storm |
August 13, 1977 |
| Heather |
| 1977 |
Tropical depression |
October 4, 1977 |
| Octave |
| 1983 |
Tropical storm |
September 28, 1983 |
| Raymond |
| 1989 |
Tropical depression |
October 5, 1989 |
| Boris |
| 1990 |
Remnant low |
June 11, 1990 |
LesterHurricane Lester was the first Pacific tropical cyclone to enter the United States as a tropical storm since a hurricane in 1967. The twelfth named storm and seventh hurricane of the 1992 Pacific hurricane season, Lester formed on August 20 from a tropical wave to the southwest of Mexico...
|
| 1992 |
Tropical storm |
August 22, 1992 |
IsmaelHurricane Ismael was a weak 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...
|
| 1995 |
Remnant low |
September 15, 1995 |
NoraHurricane Nora was the fourteenth named tropical cyclone and seventh hurricane of the 1997 Pacific hurricane season. The September storm formed off the Pacific coast of Mexico, and aided by waters warmed by El Niño, eventually peaked at Category 4 intensity on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane...
|
| 1997 |
Tropical storm |
September 25, 1997 |
IsisHurricane 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...
|
| 1998 |
Remnant low |
September 5, 1998 |
| Marty 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 |
Remnant low |
September 22, 2003 |
JavierHurricane 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 |
Remnant low |
September 20, 2004 |
JohnHurricane 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...
|
| 2006 |
Remnant low |
September 5, 2006 |
JulioTropical 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...
|
| 2008 |
Tropical Storm |
August 25, 2008 |
| Jimena The name Jimena has been used for six tropical cyclones in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.* 1979's Tropical Storm Jimena —Strong tropical storm that was not notable, except that it formed further south than any other eastern Pacific tropical cyclone on record....
|
| 2009 |
Remnant low |
September 5, 2009 |
Storm systems
Wettest tropical cyclones, and their remnants, in Arizona
Highest known recorded totals |
| Precipitation |
Storm |
Measurement
station |
| Rank |
(mm The millimetre is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one thousandth of a metre, which is the current SI base unit of length.Equal to 1000 micrometres.Equal to 1000000 nanometres....
) |
(inAn inch is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including Imperial units, and United States customary units. There are 36 inches in a yard and 12 inches in a foot...
) |
| 1 |
305.1 mm |
12.01 in |
NoraHurricane Nora was the fourteenth named tropical cyclone and seventh hurricane of the 1997 Pacific hurricane season. The September storm formed off the Pacific coast of Mexico, and aided by waters warmed by El Niño, eventually peaked at Category 4 intensity on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane...
|
1997The 1997 Pacific hurricane season was an annual event in tropical cyclone meteorology. It was one of the most active seasons. With hundreds of deaths and billions of dollars in damage, this season was the costliest and one of the deadliest Pacific hurricane seasons.Hurricanes Linda, Pauline, and...
|
Harquahala Mountain |
| 2 |
304.8 mm |
12.00 in |
Octave |
1983 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 |
1977The 1977 Pacific hurricane season was the most inactive in known history. Only eight tropical storms formed, and four hurricanes. There were no major hurricanes; the next time this happened would be the 2003 season. In addition, there was just one storm in each of May, June, July, August, and...
|
NogalesNogales is a city in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. The population was 20,878 at the 2000 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 |
1977The 1977 Pacific hurricane season was the most inactive in known history. Only eight tropical storms formed, and four hurricanes. There were no major hurricanes; the next time this happened would be the 2003 season. In addition, there was just one storm in each of May, June, July, August, and...
|
Yuma Valley |
| 5 |
177.8 mm |
7.00 in |
JavierHurricane 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...
|
2004The 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 |
LesterHurricane Lester was the first Pacific tropical cyclone to enter the United States as a tropical storm since a hurricane in 1967. The twelfth named storm and seventh hurricane of the 1992 Pacific hurricane season, Lester formed on August 20 from a tropical wave to the southwest of Mexico...
|
1992The 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 |
1989The 1989 Pacific hurricane season officially started May 15, 1989 in the Eastern Pacific, and June 1, 1989 in the Central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 1989. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northeastern Pacific...
|
Santa Rita Experiment Range |
| 8 |
83.3 mm |
3.28 in |
Boris |
1990The 1990 Pacific hurricane season was the second most active season behind the 1992 season officially started on May 15, 1990 in the eastern Pacific, and on June 1, 1990 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 1990. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most...
|
Santa Rita Experiment Range |
| 9 |
72.9 mm |
2.87 in |
Kathleen Hurricane Kathleen was a tropical cyclone of the 1976 Pacific hurricane season. Though rather weak, only a Category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, it was very destructive. Kathleen caused widespread flooding and damage in northern Mexico and parts of the southwestern United States...
|
1976The 1976 Pacific hurricane season was an event in tropical cyclone formation. Hurricanes Kathleen, Liza, and Madeline are 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...
|
Davis Dam #2 |
| 10 |
71.9 mm |
2.83 in |
Marty 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...
|
2003The 2003 Pacific hurricane season produced an unusually large number of tropical cyclones which affect 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 $1 billion...
|
Organ Pipe Cactus National MonumentOrgan 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
floodA flood is an overflow or accumulation of an expanse of water that submerges land. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide....
ing caused by
rainRain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to other kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. On Earth, it is the condensation of atmospheric water vapor into drops heavy enough to fall, often making it to the surface...
.
Before 1960
Records of
tropical cyclones in the East PacificA Pacific hurricane or tropical storm is a tropical cyclone that develops in the northeastern part of the Pacific Ocean. For organizational purposes, the 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.
The first known tropical disturbance to affect the state occurred in August 1921, when a remnant low of a tropical cyclone moved into the western portions of the state. The next month, on September 30, 1921, a tropical depression that had tracked parallel to the Mexican coastline moved into Arizona, causing heavy rainfall. This tropical storm caused more than three inches of rainfall along the
Colorado RiverThe Colorado River , or the Red 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...
valley, with 3.65
inAn inch is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including Imperial units, and United States customary units. There are 36 inches in a yard and 12 inches in a foot...
(93
mmThe millimetre is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one thousandth of a metre, which is the current SI base unit of length.Equal to 1000 micrometres.Equal to 1000000 nanometres....
) of rain reported in
YumaYuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. The population of the city was 77,515 at the 2000 census, with a 2006 Census Bureau estimated population of 87,423....
. Throughout the state,
FlagstaffFlagstaff is a city located in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. In July 2006, the city's estimated population was 58,213. The population of the Metropolitan Statistical Area was estimated at 127,450 in 2007. It is the county seat of Coconino County...
saw 1.50 in (38 mm) of rainfall, while 1.24 in (31 mm) of precipitation fell in
PrescottPrescott is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, USA. Local inhabitants prefer to pronounce the name PRES-kit in a way that rhymes with "biscuit."...
, 0.68 in (17 mm) in
TucsonTucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States, located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. As of July 1, 2006, a Census Bureau estimate puts the city's population at 541,811, with a metropolitan area population at...
, and 0.56 in (14 mm) in
PhoenixPhoenix is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the fifth most populous city in the United States...
.
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 in (127 mm) of rain in the vicinity of
DouglasDouglas is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, USA. Douglas has a border crossing with Mexico and a history of mining.The population was 14,312 at the 2000 census...
. In September 1927, the remnants of another tropical system caused 1–2 in (25–50 mm) of rainfall throughout the state.
In 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 RiverThe Santa Cruz River is a river in southern Arizona, United States, and northern Sonora, Mexico. The Santa Cruz has its headwaters in the high intermontane grasslands of the San Rafael Valley to the east of Patagonia between the Canelo Hills to the east and the Patagonia Mountains to the west, just...
and Rillito Creek on Southern Arizona. The rainfall due to the storm still holds the monthly rainfall record at the National Weather Service office in Tucson.
1939 saw two tropical systems enter the state during the same month. On September 4, 1931, the remnants of a former hurricane entered southwest Arizona, near Yuma. More than 5.00 in (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 separate system passed, again, over southwest Arizona.
No tropical cyclones are known to have affected Arizona in the 1940s. However, in the 1950s, the remnants of two more storms passed over the state. In August 24, 1951, the moisture from a hurricane that made landfall in
Baja CaliforniaBaja California is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North Territory of Baja California. It has an area of , or 3.57% of the land mass of Mexico and comprises the northern half of the Baja California peninsula, north...
moved over the state, producing more than 5.00 (127 mm) of precipitation over southwestern Arizona. Flagstaff saw 4.00 in (102 mm) of rain, with similar totals measured at Prescott (3.95 in, 100 mm) and Phoenix (3.24 in, 82 mm). The storm also washed out several roadways near
Gila BendGila 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. 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.
1970s
In September 1970, the remnants of
Tropical Storm NormaTropical 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. The resulting rainfall caused flooding that killed 23 people and significant damage. Two years later, the remnants of Hurricane Joanne caused flooding that caused $10 million (1972
USDThe United States dollar is the unit of currency of the United States. The U.S. dollar is normally abbreviated as the dollar sign, $, or as USD or US$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies and from others that use the $ symbol. It is divided into 100 cents .The U.S...
) in property damage and eight deaths.
On September 11 1976,
Hurricane KathleenHurricane Kathleen was a tropical cyclone of the 1976 Pacific hurricane season. Though rather weak, only a Category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, it was very destructive. Kathleen caused widespread flooding and damage in northern Mexico and parts of the southwestern United States...
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 in (73 mm) fell at the
Davis DamThe Davis Dam is a dam on the Colorado River 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 RiverThe Colorado River , or the Red 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 next month,
Hurricane LizaHurricane Liza of the 1976 Pacific hurricane season was a devastating tropical cyclone that killed over 600 people in northern Mexico. Forming southwest of Mexico in late September, Liza moved generally northward striking the western coast of mainland Mexico early in October, becoming one of the...
brought light rain to the state, with the state maxima being 1.48 in (38 mm) on Willow Beach.
In August of the following year, Hurricane Doreen caused severe flooding in
Yuma CountyYuma County is a county located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of 2007, its population was estimated to be 190,557, an increase of 30,531 people since the 2000 census count of 160,026...
and near Bullhead City. A rain gauge near
YumaYuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. The population of the city was 77,515 at the 2000 census, with a 2006 Census Bureau estimated population of 87,423....
saw more than 7 in (180 mm) of precipitation during the storm. In October 1977, the remnants of Hurricane Heather caused 8.30 in (211 mm) of rain in
NogalesNogales is a city in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. The population was 20,878 at the 2000 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....
.
1980s
The 1980s saw destructive tropical cyclone pass through the state, as was the case with the previous decade. A weather system, including moisture from Tropical Storm Octave, caused torrential rains over a ten-day period. The largest precipitation total occurred in
Mount GrahamMount 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. The mountain reaches in height, attaining the highest elevation in Graham County...
, which saw 12.00 in (305 mm) of rain overall. 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 in (250 mm) of precipitation measured at
NogalesNogales is a city in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. The population was 20,878 at the 2000 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 in (169 mm) at
SaffordSafford is a city in Graham County, Arizona, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 8,932...
, 6.40 in (163 mm) at
TucsonTucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States, located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. As of July 1, 2006, a Census Bureau estimate puts the city's population at 541,811, with a metropolitan area population at...
, 3.93 in (100 mm) at
FlagstaffFlagstaff is a city located in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. In July 2006, the city's estimated population was 58,213. The population of the Metropolitan Statistical Area was estimated at 127,450 in 2007. It is the county seat of Coconino County...
, 2.65 in (67 mm) at
PhoenixPhoenix is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the fifth most populous city in the United States...
, and 2.62 in (66 mm) at Prescott.
In 1989,
flash floodA flash flood is a rapid flooding of geomorphic low-lying areas - washes, rivers and streams. It is caused by heavy rain associated with a thunderstorm, hurricane, or tropical storm. Flash floods can also occur after the collapse of an ice dam, or a human structure, such as a dam, for example, the...
ing produced by Hurricane Raymond caused 1.5 million (1989 USD) in damage in the state. Raymond passed over the state as a tropical depression, and produced heavy rainfall on the southeastern portion of the state, with 4.72 in (120 mm) of rain falling in Nogales.
1990s
During the 1990s, several tropical systems have affected Arizona even after losing all tropical characteristics. The moisture from
BorisThe name Boris has been used for five tropical cyclones in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.* 1984's Hurricane Boris* 1990's Hurricane Boris - Affected California* 1996's Hurricane Boris* 2002's Tropical Storm Boris* 2008's Hurricane Boris - Never threatened land...
in 1990 produced 3.28 in (83 mm) of rainfall on the
Santa Rita MountainsThe Santa Rita Mountains, located about 65 km southeast of Tucson, Arizona, extend 42 km from northwest to southeast. The highest point in the range, and the highest point in the Tucson area, is Mount Wrightson, with an elevation of 9,453 feet , The range contains Madera Canyon, one of the...
.
1995The 1995 Pacific hurricane season was the least active Pacific hurricane season since 1979. Of the eleven tropical cyclones that formed during the season, four affected land, with the most notable storm of the season being Hurricane Ismael, which killed at least 116 people in Mexico...
's
IsmaelHurricane Ismael was a weak 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...
produced most of its damage south of the state, but light rainfall fell over
Cochise CountyCochise County is a county located in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. The population was 117,755 at the 2000 census; it was estimated at 127,866 in 2007. The county seat is Bisbee.-History:...
, with the highest reported rainfall being 1.44 in (37 mm). In 1998, the remnants of
Hurricane IsisHurricane 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...
dropped more than two inches (50 mm) of rainfall across southern
ArizonaThe State of Arizona is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. The capital and largest city is Phoenix. The second largest city is Tucson, followed in size by the four Phoenix metropolitan area cities of Mesa, Glendale, Chandler, and Scottsdale.Arizona was the 48th and...
, resulting in some flash flood warnings and flooding on roadways. Isis also caused up to 3 in (75 mm) across the
Santa CatalinaThe Santa Catalina Mountains are located north of Tucson, Arizona, United States. Commonly referred to as the Catalinas, the mountain range is the most prominent in the Tucson area, with the highest average elevation. The highest point in the Catalinas is Mount Lemmon at an elevation of 9,157...
and
Rincon MountainsThe Rincon Mountains 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...
that surround
TucsonTucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States, located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. As of July 1, 2006, a Census Bureau estimate puts the city's population at 541,811, with a metropolitan area population at...
. However, there was no flooding reported in the Tucson area, and
Tucson International AirportTucson International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located six miles south of the central business district of Tucson, a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States. It is owned and operated by the Tucson Airport Authority, which also operates Ryan Airfield...
reported only 1.1 in (28 mm) as a result of the storm.
However, two hurricanes survived long enough to reach Arizona while still considered
tropical systemsA 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 feed on heat released when moist air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor contained in the moist air...
. The first,
Hurricane LesterHurricane Lester was the first Pacific tropical cyclone to enter the United States as a tropical storm since a hurricane in 1967. The twelfth named storm and seventh hurricane of the 1992 Pacific hurricane season, Lester formed on August 20 from a tropical wave to the southwest of Mexico...
, reached the state as a tropical storm, and caused over 5 in (125 mm) near
PhoenixPhoenix is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the fifth most populous city in the United States...
and
TucsonTucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States, located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. As of July 1, 2006, a Census Bureau estimate puts the city's population at 541,811, with a metropolitan area population at...
. Much of the rest of the state reported over 1 inch (25 mm) as a result of Lester. The second storm,
Hurricane NoraHurricane Nora was the fourteenth named tropical cyclone and seventh hurricane of the 1997 Pacific hurricane season. The September storm formed off the Pacific coast of Mexico, and aided by waters warmed by El Niño, eventually peaked at Category 4 intensity on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane...
, struck the state in September 1997, and was responsible for the 24-hour rainfall record in the state. Nora produced 11.97 in (304 mm) of rainfall over the
Harquahala MountainsThe Harquahala Mountains are the highest mountain range in southwestern Arizona, USA and are located southwest of the towns of Aguila and Wenden. The name originated from a local Native American people "Aha qua hala" which meant "water there is high up". The range is oriented from northeast to...
in Western Arizona, causing some flash flooding in the area. Near
PhoenixPhoenix is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the fifth most populous city in the United States...
, rainfall from the storm caused the Narrows Dam, a small earthen dam, to fail; localized rainfall amounts of up to 3 in (75 mm) occurred throughout the state. Nora also caused 12,000 people to lose electric power in Yuma.
2000s
The present decade has seen three tropical cyclones remnants pass over Arizona.
The first system,
Hurricane MartyHurricane 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...
brought locally heavy rains to extreme southwestern Arizona in September 2003; in spite of this, there were no reports of flooding from the storm. The highest rain total was 2.83 in (72 mm) at
Organ Pipe Cactus National MonumentOrgan 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...
. The second storm,
JavierHurricane 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...
, produced heavy rain throughout the state, helping to alleviate a prolonged drought in the
Southwestern United StatesThe Southwestern United States is defined as the states that lie west of the Mississippi River, with the qualification of a certain northern limit such as the 37, 38, 39, or 40 degree north latitude. A 97.33 longitude degree west could qualify as the separation of the American Southwest from the...
. The heaviest rainfall occurred at Walnut Creek, which saw a total of 7.00 in (178 mm) of precipitation during the storm. The
Tucson airportTucson International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located six miles south of the central business district of Tucson, a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States. It is owned and operated by the Tucson Airport Authority, which also operates Ryan Airfield...
saw rainfall of 0.37 in (9.3 mm), while the
University of ArizonaThe University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
reported 0.89 in (22.6 mm) of rain.
The rain and
lightningLightning is an atmospheric discharge of electricity accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
from Javier flooded several roads in the city, and forced the university to delay one of its football games.
Thunderstorms from
Tropical Storm JulioTropical 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...
caused flooding on Interstate 17.
Heavy rain on September 5, 2009, came from
Hurricane JimenaThe name Jimena has been used for six tropical cyclones in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.* 1979's Tropical Storm Jimena —Strong tropical storm that was not notable, except that it formed further south than any other eastern Pacific tropical cyclone on record....
.
See also