NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Wellton, 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 Wellton, Arizona since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Nora in 1997. Since 1950, 7 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 2
- Tornadoes
- 7
- 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 Wellton
None of the 2 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Wellton; the strongest was Katrina in 1967, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 60 miles away. The record near Wellton begins with Katrina in 1967; the most recent system was Nora in 1997, a tropical storm 39 miles away. Wellton is tied for the most tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles among the 134 Arizona cities on this site. The strongest of the 7 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F2 on August 17, 1959; its path came within 6 miles. Of the 7, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 2 have come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on October 13, 2018. Of the 134 Arizona cities, 51% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Wellton. Hail has been reported within 10 miles once, in 2010, with stones of 1 inch (quarter size). Of the 134 Arizona cities, 82% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Wellton.
Compare Wellton's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Wellton
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Wellton: 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 Wellton
By decade
- 2010s1
- 2000s1
- 1980s2
- 1970s2
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 17, 1959 | F2 | 6 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Sep 22, 1987 | F1 | 24 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 13, 2018 | EF0 | 18 mi | 0.14 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 10, 2006 | F0 | 18 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 22, 1987 | F0 | 23 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 10, 1978 | F0 | 2 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 10, 1978 | F0 | 13 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 7 of 7, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Wellton
The Storm Prediction Center has one hail report within 10 miles of Wellton, from August 27, 2010: 1 inch (quarter size).
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Wellton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Yuma 27 ENE, AZ, 11 miles north of Wellton at 620 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 106°F and low of 80°F; December is the coolest, at 67°F and 42°F. Highs reach 90°F on about 173 days a year, almost all from March to November. Lows fall below freezing on about 5 nights a year. That 4.0 inches is more than at 2 of the 76 Arizona stations used on this site (3%). Yuma, 25 miles west, has its own station (Yuma Quartermaster Depot, AZ): 3.3 inches a year, 0.7 less than here, and a July average high of 109°F against 106°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68 | 43 | 0.6 | 1 |
| Feb | 72 | 45 | 0.6 | 1 |
| Mar | 79 | 51 | 0.4 | 1 |
| Apr | 85 | 56 | 0.1 | 0 |
| May | 93 | 62 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Jun | 103 | 71 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Jul | 106 | 80 | 0.3 | 1 |
| Aug | 105 | 80 | 0.6 | 1 |
| Sep | 100 | 73 | 0.4 | 1 |
| Oct | 90 | 60 | 0.2 | 1 |
| Nov | 77 | 49 | 0.4 | 1 |
| Dec | 67 | 42 | 0.4 | 1 |
| Year | 87 | 59 | 4.0 | 9 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Yuma 27 ENE, AZ (620 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 Wellton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 27 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Wellton: 16 thunderstorm wind reports, 6 flash floods, 4 floods and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $259,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on August 18, 1999. August has had the most flash floods, 3 of 6. Of the 130 Arizona cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 25 have had fewer than Wellton.
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 Wellton's ZIP code 85356 have filed 19 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $330,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 1993, with 15. Of the 50 Arizona cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 12 have fewer than Wellton.
Yuma County, which includes Wellton, 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 Wellton
- Yuma, AZ25 mi
- Somerton, AZ34 mi
- San Luis, AZ39 mi
- Quartzsite, AZ68 mi
- Holtville, CA71 mi
- Blythe, CA71 mi
- Calexico, CA78 mi
- Heber, CA80 mi
- Gila Bend, AZ80 mi
- Brawley, CA82 mi
- Tonopah, AZ84 mi
- El Centro, CA84 mi
All Arizona cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Wellton with another place →