NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Sierra Vista, AZ
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
1 tropical system has passed within 75 miles of Sierra Vista, Arizona since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Lester in 1992. Since 1950, 6 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 1
- Tornadoes
- 6
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Sierra Vista
None of the 1 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Sierra Vista; the strongest was Lester in 1992, a tropical storm with 41 mph winds when its centre passed 28 miles away. Sierra Vista has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 79% of the 134 Arizona cities on this site. The highest rating among the 6 tornadoes within 25 miles is F1, reached 2 times; the most recent, on July 16, 1971, came within 3 miles. Of the 6, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and one has come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on July 29, 2017. Of the 134 Arizona cities, 53% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Sierra Vista. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 38 times since 1984, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Sierra Vista has more hail reports within 10 miles than 91% of the 134 Arizona cities.
Compare Sierra Vista's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Sierra Vista
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | LesterAug 24 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Sierra Vista: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Sierra Vista
By decade
- 2010s1
- 1990s2
- 1970s1
- 1960s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 16, 1971 | F1 | 3 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jul 28, 1966 | F1 | 24 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 29, 2017 | EF0 | 19 mi | 0.12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 23, 1997 | F0 | 2 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 29, 1993 | F0 | 8 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 10, 1963 | F0 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 6 of 6, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Sierra Vista
The Storm Prediction Center has 38 hail reports within 10 miles of Sierra Vista since 1984, made on 35 separate days. Of these, 20 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently August 7, 2023. The most recent report is from July 13, 2025. August has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Sierra Vista
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Sierra Vista, AZ, 2 miles west of Sierra Vista at 4,606 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 61°F and 30°F. July is the wettest at 3.5 inches of precipitation on average and May the driest at 0.2 inches; the year adds up to 13.0 inches over 32 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 87 days a year, almost all from April to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 45 nights a year. That 13.0 inches is more than at 51 of the 76 Arizona stations used on this site (67%). Hereford, 8 miles south, has its own station (Coronado Nmem, AZ): 20.9 inches a year, 7.9 more than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 30 | 0.8 | 2 |
| Feb | 64 | 33 | 0.6 | 2 |
| Mar | 71 | 38 | 0.5 | 2 |
| Apr | 78 | 43 | 0.3 | 1 |
| May | 85 | 50 | 0.2 | 1 |
| Jun | 94 | 60 | 0.5 | 2 |
| Jul | 92 | 63 | 3.5 | 8 |
| Aug | 90 | 62 | 3.3 | 7 |
| Sep | 87 | 57 | 1.3 | 3 |
| Oct | 80 | 47 | 0.6 | 2 |
| Nov | 70 | 37 | 0.5 | 1 |
| Dec | 62 | 30 | 0.9 | 2 |
| Year | 78 | 46 | 13.0 | 32 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Sierra Vista, AZ (4,606 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Sierra Vista
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 72 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Sierra Vista: 34 thunderstorm wind reports, 32 flash floods, 4 lightning strikes and 2 heavy rain events. They killed 2 people and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $1.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 91 mph, on July 10, 2021. July has had the most flash floods, 16 of 32. Of the 130 Arizona cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 92 have had fewer than Sierra Vista.
September 19, 2015: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Sierra Vista — 1 killed, $5,000 damage.
NWS: “A woman in her vehicle was swept into flash flood waters when attempting to cross a wash on High Knoll Rd east of Sierra Vista. Rescuers found the car had been swept downstream, but were unable to locate the driver.”
September 6, 2007: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Sierra Vista — 1 killed.
NWS: “Flash Flooding along an unnamed wash on High Knoll Road near No Name Road east of Sierra Vista caused a 37 year old woman to be fatally swept downstream in her vehicle.”
July 10, 2011: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Sierra Vista — $1.0 million damage.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Flood insurance policyholders in Sierra Vista's 2 ZIP codes have filed 15 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $48,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. Of the 50 Arizona cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 7 have fewer than Sierra Vista.
Cochise County, which includes Sierra Vista, has been named in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1970, 6 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 fires, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 4, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Cochise County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for lightning; Relatively High for inland flooding and heat waves; Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $90.8 million a year, the 8th highest of 15 Arizona counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $44.3 million (49%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.