States › Arizona › Pima County
Pima County, Arizona
Recorded hazard history: storm events since 1950, federal disaster declarations since 1953, flood insurance claims since 1978, and FEMA's risk index.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. NCEI storm records through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA declarations refreshed 1 Oct 2026; NFIP claims as of 8 Sep 2026.
Pima County, Arizona, has 1,724 weather events in the NCEI Storm Events record since 1950, most of them damaging wind.
That is 18.8 events per 100 square miles, in line with the Arizona figure of 15.7, and 16.4 per 10,000 residents against 24.6 statewide.
74 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 28 deaths and 138 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $235M.
FEMA has designated the county in 15 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Big Horn Fire (fire management assistance, 11 Jun 2020).
National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 584 claims since 1978, of which 343 were paid, totalling $7.9M (about $23K per paid claim). FEMA counts 2,620 residential flood policies in force.
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Relatively High" and its expected annual loss as "Relatively High" ($531M a year across 18 hazards).
1 tropical storm or hurricane track in the HURDAT2 record passed within 100 miles of the county's centre at tropical-storm strength or more, 0 of them within 50 miles at hurricane strength.
Compared with Arizona and the United States
| Measure | Pima County | Arizona | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 1,724 | 17,892 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 18.8 | 15.7 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 16.4 | 24.6 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 74 | 793 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 28 | 3,147 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $235M | $4.3B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 0.6 | 0.7 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $23K | $18K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 3.1 | 3.7 | 16.1 |
County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county. State and US rows include events recorded only by forecast zone. Rates use 2021 Census population and land area.
Events by decade
Trend: 1,104 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 486 in the 20 years before. Reporting practice changed in 1996 and again with automated reports in the 2000s, so decade totals measure the record as much as the weather.
Events by type
Hazard pages exist for hail, tornado, flood, wind and winter where the county has at least 10 recorded events. "Other" covers heavy rain, debris flow, dust, funnel clouds and similar reports.
Largest recorded events
| Date | Event type | Group | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Aug 2008 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | — | — | 3 | — | County |
| 27 Aug 1964 | Tornado | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | 2 | 9 | County |
| 22 Jun 2024 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $10K | — | 2 | — | County |
| 4 Aug 2007 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | — | — | 2 | — | County |
| 23 Jun 1974 | Tornado | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | 1 | 40 | County |
| 17 Jun 2026 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $5K | — | 1 | 2 | County |
| 7 Sep 2012 | Flood | Flood | — | $20K | — | 1 | 1 | County |
| 10 Jul 2010 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | County |
| 15 Sep 2011 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $500K | — | 1 | — | County |
| 7 Sep 2006 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $80K | — | 1 | — | County |
| 23 Jul 2020 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $50K | — | 1 | — | County |
| 8 Sep 2014 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $25K | — | 1 | — | County |
| 30 Jul 2010 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $20K | — | 1 | — | County |
| 31 Jul 2001 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $15K | — | 1 | — | County |
| 12 Aug 2018 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $15K | — | 1 | — | County |
| 14 Aug 2005 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $10K | — | 1 | — | County |
| 2 Aug 2005 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $5K | — | 1 | — | County |
| 8 Aug 2024 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $1K | — | 1 | — | County |
| 9 Aug 1998 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 28 May 2005 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
Ranked by deaths, then injuries, then NCEI's damage estimate. Deaths and injuries are NCEI counts (direct plus indirect); no personal details are recorded here.
Federal disaster declarations
| Declared | Number | Type | Incident | Title | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Jun 2020 | FM-5312 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Big Horn Fire | Public assistance |
| 4 Apr 2020 | DR-4524 | Major disaster | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Mar 2020 | EM-3442 | Emergency | Biological | Covid-19 | Public assistance |
| 7 Sep 2006 | DR-1660 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 12 Sep 2005 | EM-3241 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Public assistance |
| 14 Jul 2003 | DR-1477 | Major disaster | Fire | Aspen Fire | Public assistance |
| 18 Jun 2003 | FM-2470 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Aspen Fire | Public assistance |
| 19 Jan 1993 | DR-977 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 6 Dec 1990 | DR-884 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Public assistance |
| 5 Oct 1983 | DR-691 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 21 Dec 1978 | DR-570 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 4 Mar 1978 | DR-551 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 4 Nov 1977 | DR-540 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 3 Jul 1972 | DR-343 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 30 Apr 1966 | DR-217 | Major disaster | Flood | Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
Declarations in which FEMA designated this county, from the OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). DR: major disaster; EM: emergency; FM: fire management assistance. Programs show whether individual or public assistance was made available.
Flood insurance claims
| Year of loss | Claims | Paid claims | Amount paid | Average paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2025 | 3 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2023 | 12 | 4 | $207,842 | $51,960 |
| 2022 | 8 | 8 | $509,233 | $63,654 |
| 2021 | 24 | 15 | $294,349 | $19,623 |
| 2020 | 3 | 1 | $11,163 | $11,163 |
| 2019 | 8 | 3 | $36,309 | $12,103 |
| 2018 | 12 | 8 | $94,888 | $11,861 |
| 2017 | 6 | 4 | $37,024 | $9,256 |
| 2016 | 27 | 19 | $455,048 | $23,950 |
| 2015 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2014 | 13 | 7 | $168,779 | $24,111 |
| 2013 | 3 | 1 | $8,314 | $8,314 |
| 2012 | 13 | 9 | $88,387 | $9,821 |
| 2011 | 13 | 9 | $175,820 | $19,536 |
| 2010 | 37 | 27 | $1,179,493 | $43,685 |
| 2009 | 3 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2008 | 9 | 4 | $129,481 | $32,370 |
| 2007 | 22 | 17 | $927,519 | $54,560 |
| 2006 | 43 | 30 | $1,277,205 | $42,573 |
| 2005 | 4 | 3 | $35,180 | $11,727 |
| 2004 | 2 | 1 | $1,772 | $1,772 |
| 2003 | 31 | 17 | $309,489 | $18,205 |
| 2002 | 10 | 4 | $90,858 | $22,715 |
OpenFEMA NFIP claims (v3, as of 8 Sep 2026), aggregated by year of loss; amounts are building, contents and increased-cost-of-compliance payments as recorded. Repetitive-loss counts from the NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (2 Aug 2026); policies in force from the NFIP Residential Penetration Rates file (3 Aug 2026).
National Risk Index
| Hazard (NRI) | Risk rating | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|
| Inland flooding | $347,357,076 | |
| Heat wave | $133,121,244 | |
| Wildfire | $37,561,739 | |
| Earthquake | $6,323,740 | |
| Lightning | $2,509,835 | |
| Hail | $1,809,897 | |
| Strong wind | $1,313,432 | |
| Tornado | $688,346 | |
| Drought | $458,566 | |
| Winter weather | $199,966 | |
| Hurricane | $4,770 | |
| Landslide | $2,235 | |
| Avalanche | $358 | |
| Cold wave | $150 |
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. Ratings are FEMA's relative comparison of counties; expected annual loss is FEMA's modelled estimate of average yearly building, population and agriculture loss. See how to read the NRI.
Hurricane and tropical storm passes
| Storm | Year | Closest approach | Max wind while within 100 mi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lester | 1992 | 76 mi | 40 mph |
HURDAT2 best-track positions at tropical-storm strength (34 kt) or more, measured from the county's Census centre point; through the 2025 season. Distance from a track is not the same as the extent of the storm's wind, rain or surge.
ZIP codes with flood claims
- 85749 159
- 85718 39
- 85719 27
- 85745 27
- 85705 25
- 85712 24
- 85750 22
- 85739 18
- 85757 18
- 85715 17
- 85716 17
- 85737 15
- 85653 13
- 85735 13
- 85742 13
- 85756 12
- 85710 11
- 85747 11
- 85321 9
- 85711 9
- 85704 8
- 85713 8
- 85641 7
- 85743 7
- 85629 6
- 85746 6
- 85748 6
- 85246 5
- 85645 5
- 85741 5
ZIP codes whose NFIP claims carry this county's code, with the number of claims. Five or more claims are needed for a ZIP page to be indexed.
Questions and answers
How often does it hail in Pima County, AZ?
NCEI records 190 hail events in Pima County since 1950, in 45 different years; that is about 2.5 recorded events a year. 20 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Pima County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 30 tornadoes in Pima County since 1950, 2 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 3.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Pima County?
11 Jun 2020: Big Horn Fire, a fire management assistance declaration for fire. The county appears in 15 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Pima County, and how much was paid?
584 NFIP claims since 1978, 343 of them paid, for $7.9M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Pima County in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?
FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Relatively High" for overall risk, "Relatively High" for expected annual loss, "Relatively Moderate" for social vulnerability and "Relatively Low" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does Pima County compare with the rest of Arizona?
18.8 recorded events per 100 square miles against 15.7 statewide, and 0.6 NFIP claims per 1,000 residents against 0.7. The comparison table on this page shows each measure beside the state and national figures.
Provenance
Storm events: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026 (public domain). Declarations: OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, refreshed 1 Oct 2026. Flood claims: OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 as of 8 Sep 2026; NfipMultipleLossProperties v1 (2 Aug 2026); NfipResidentialPenetrationRates v1 (3 Aug 2026). Risk index: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Hurricane tracks: NHC HURDAT2 through 2025. Population and area: US Census Bureau, 2021 vintage. Built 1 Oct 2026; see the methodology and corrections pages. Hazard hubs: Hail · Tornado · Flood · Wind · Winter.