NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Yuma, 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 Yuma, Arizona since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Nora in 1997. Since 1950, 8 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 2
- Tornadoes
- 8
- 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 Yuma
None of the 2 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Yuma; the strongest was Nora in 1997, a tropical storm with 51 mph winds when its centre passed 14 miles away. The record near Yuma begins with Katrina in 1967; the most recent system was Nora in 1997. Yuma 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 8 tornadoes within 25 miles is F1, reached 3 times; the most recent, on September 22, 1987, came within 8 miles. Of the 8, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and one has come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on October 13, 2018. Of the 134 Arizona cities, 50% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Yuma. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 12 times since 1963, with stones up to 1.5 inches (ping pong ball size). Yuma has more hail reports within 10 miles than 55% of the 134 Arizona cities.
Compare Yuma's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Yuma
Katrina (1967) was moving northeast and Nora (1997) north as they passed Yuma. Nora (1997) was the stronger at its closest; its centre passed 14 miles west of Yuma. None made landfall within 75 miles of Yuma; both were hurricanes at their peak, neither at their closest to the city.
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Yuma: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Check hail and hurricane history for any address
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Yuma
By decade
- 2010s1
- 1980s2
- 1970s2
- 1960s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 22, 1987 | F1 | 8 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 13, 1966 | F1 | 7 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 5, 1965 | F1 | 4 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 13, 2018 | EF0 | 17 mi | 0.14 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 22, 1987 | F0 | 11 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 28, 1979 | F0 | 16 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 10, 1978 | F0 | 23 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 5, 1965 | F0 | 17 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 8 of 8, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Yuma
The Storm Prediction Center has 12 hail reports within 10 miles of Yuma since 1963, made on 11 separate days. Of these, 4 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. August has the most reports, 4.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Yuma
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Yuma Quartermaster Depot, AZ, 4 miles northwest of Yuma at 160 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 109°F and low of 77°F; December is the coolest, at 69°F and 44°F. December is the wettest at 0.8 inches of precipitation on average and June the driest at 0.0 inches; the year adds up to 3.3 inches over 7 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 195 days a year, almost all from March to November. Lows fall below freezing on about 4 nights a year. That 3.3 inches is more than at 1 of the 76 Arizona stations used on this site (1%). Somerton, 11 miles southwest, has its own station (Yuma Mcas, AZ): 3.2 inches a year, 0.1 less than here, and an August average high of 106°F against 109°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 71 | 45 | 0.4 | 1 |
| Feb | 75 | 47 | 0.3 | 1 |
| Mar | 82 | 52 | 0.4 | 1 |
| Apr | 89 | 56 | 0.1 | 0 |
| May | 97 | 62 | 0.1 | 0 |
| Jun | 106 | 69 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Jul | 109 | 76 | 0.3 | 1 |
| Aug | 109 | 77 | 0.3 | 1 |
| Sep | 104 | 69 | 0.1 | 1 |
| Oct | 93 | 59 | 0.2 | 0 |
| Nov | 79 | 50 | 0.3 | 0 |
| Dec | 69 | 44 | 0.8 | 1 |
| Year | 90 | 59 | 3.3 | 7 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Yuma Quartermaster Depot, AZ (160 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 Yuma
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 111 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Yuma: 79 thunderstorm wind reports, 21 flash floods, 8 heavy rain events, 2 floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $14.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 86 mph, on August 26, 2010. September has had the most flash floods, 15 of 21. Of the 130 Arizona cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 67 have had fewer than Yuma.
August 26, 2010: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Yuma — $5.0 million damage.
NWS: “As reported in the Yuma Sun, the Garden Landscaping Company at 830 South Orange Avenue was mostly destroyed by thunderstorm microburst winds, estimated to be near 75 knots. G.”
August 26, 2010: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Yuma — $3.0 million damage.
NWS: “Zero visibility reported in rain along with gusty winds estimated at up to 80 mph. Damage was reported to homes and businesses with numerous trees uprooted.”
September 2, 2007: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Yuma — $1.5 million damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees and as many as 11 power poles reported down due to strong winds. Peak gusts to 84 mph were recorded at the Yuma airport.”
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 Yuma's 3 ZIP codes have filed 69 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $465,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 1989, with 21. 1% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 50 Arizona cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 35 have fewer than Yuma.
Yuma County, which includes Yuma, 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 Yuma
- Somerton, AZ11 mi
- San Luis, AZ18 mi
- Wellton, AZ25 mi
- Holtville, CA46 mi
- Calexico, CA53 mi
- Heber, CA55 mi
- Brawley, CA58 mi
- El Centro, CA59 mi
- Imperial, CA60 mi
- Calipatria, CA62 mi
- Blythe, CA65 mi
- Quartzsite, AZ69 mi
All Arizona cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Yuma with another place →