NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Somerton, 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
2 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Somerton, Arizona since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Nora in 1997. Since 1950, 6 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 2
- 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 Somerton
None of the 2 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Somerton; the strongest was Nora in 1997, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 7 miles away. The record near Somerton begins with Katrina in 1967; the most recent system was Nora in 1997. Somerton is tied for the most tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles among the 134 Arizona cities on this site. The highest rating among the 6 tornadoes within 25 miles is F1, reached 3 times; the most recent, on September 22, 1987, came within 19 miles. Of the 6, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and none has come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on September 22, 1987. Of the 134 Arizona cities, 53% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Somerton. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 5 times since 1964, with stones up to 1.5 inches (ping pong ball size). Of the 134 Arizona cities, 66% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Somerton.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Somerton
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Somerton: 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 Somerton
By decade
- 1980s2
- 1970s1
- 1960s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 22, 1987 | F1 | 19 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 13, 1966 | F1 | 8 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 5, 1965 | F1 | 11 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 22, 1987 | F0 | 22 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 28, 1979 | F0 | 15 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 5, 1965 | F0 | 17 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 Somerton
The Storm Prediction Center has 5 hail reports within 10 miles of Somerton since 1964. Of these, 2 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest, 1.5 inches (ping pong ball size), fell on April 28, 1964. The most recent report is from August 22, 2013.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Somerton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Yuma Mcas, AZ, 7 miles northeast of Somerton at 213 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 106°F and low of 83°F; December is the coolest, at 68°F and 47°F. September is the wettest at 0.7 inches of precipitation on average and June the driest at 0.0 inches; the year adds up to 3.2 inches over 8 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 181 days a year, almost all from March to November. A night below freezing comes less than once a year on average. That 3.2 inches is more than at 0 of the 76 Arizona stations used on this site (0%). Yuma, 11 miles northeast, has its own station (Yuma Quartermaster Depot, AZ): 3.3 inches a year, 0.1 more than here, and an August average high of 109°F against 106°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70 | 48 | 0.4 | 1 |
| Feb | 73 | 50 | 0.4 | 1 |
| Mar | 80 | 55 | 0.4 | 1 |
| Apr | 86 | 60 | 0.1 | 1 |
| May | 94 | 67 | 0.1 | 0 |
| Jun | 103 | 75 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Jul | 107 | 83 | 0.2 | 0 |
| Aug | 106 | 83 | 0.2 | 1 |
| Sep | 101 | 78 | 0.7 | 1 |
| Oct | 90 | 66 | 0.1 | 0 |
| Nov | 78 | 54 | 0.2 | 0 |
| Dec | 68 | 47 | 0.4 | 1 |
| Year | 88 | 64 | 3.2 | 8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Yuma Mcas, AZ (213 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 Somerton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 59 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Somerton: 40 thunderstorm wind reports, 12 flash floods, 6 heavy rain events and 1 flood. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $3.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 84 mph, on September 2, 2007. September has had the most flash floods, 10 of 12. Of the 130 Arizona cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 45 have had fewer than Somerton.
September 2, 2007: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Somerton — $1.5 million damage.
August 26, 2010: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Somerton — $500,000 damage.
September 8, 2015: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Somerton — $200,000 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
Yuma County, which includes Somerton, has been named in 6 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1983, 4 of them major disasters (by incident: 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods, 1 hurricane, 1 severe storm). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 4, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Yuma County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for heat waves; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $91.5 million a year, the 7th highest of 15 Arizona counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $31.6 million (35%), 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.
Cities near Somerton
- San Luis, AZ7 mi
- Yuma, AZ11 mi
- Wellton, AZ34 mi
- Holtville, CA40 mi
- Calexico, CA45 mi
- Heber, CA48 mi
- El Centro, CA52 mi
- Brawley, CA54 mi
- Imperial, CA54 mi
- Calipatria, CA60 mi
- Blythe, CA73 mi
- Niland, CA74 mi
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