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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Sun City West, AZ

Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.

No tropical storm or hurricane has passed within 75 miles of Sun City West, Arizona since records began in 1851. Since 1950, 27 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
0

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
0

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
27

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
0

no recorded deaths

Tornadoes within 25 miles of Sun City West

By decade

  • 2010s4
  • 1990s6
  • 1980s5
  • 1970s7
  • 1960s4
  • 1950s1
Strongest tornadoes near Sun City West, Arizona
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Jun 21, 1972F225 mi13.5 mi0 / 3
Sep 14, 1971F217 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
Oct 3, 1968F213 mi0.1 mi0 / 3
May 23, 1992F122 mi0.5 mi0 / 0
Jan 6, 1992F122 mi1.2 mi0 / 0
Aug 9, 1984F116 mi0.5 mi0 / 0
Aug 8, 1983F116 mi0.2 mi0 / 0
Sep 5, 1981F13 mi1 mi0 / 0
Mar 25, 1977F112 mi1 mi0 / 0
Aug 24, 1974F116 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
Oct 18, 1971F124 mi0.5 mi0 / 0
Jul 20, 1968F120 mi0.1 mi0 / 3

The strongest 12 of 27, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

How to read this page

A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Sun City West while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.

Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.

Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.

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