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Tornado in Pinal County, Arizona
30 tornadoes events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Tornado.
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. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
Pinal County, Arizona, has 30 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 17 different years.
June is the busiest month, with 5 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 5 events against 6 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 9.8% of the 306 tornado events recorded in Arizona; its 0.6 per 100 square miles compares with 0.3 statewide.
By rating: 13 at (E)F0, 13 at (E)F1, 0 at (E)F2, 0 at (E)F3, 0 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5 and 4 unrated. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Arizona
| Measure | Pinal County | Arizona | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 30 | 306 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 0.6 | 0.3 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 0.7 | 0.4 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 3 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | June | July | May |
By year
Seasonality
1Feb
0Mar
4Apr
1May
0Jun
5Jul
5Aug
3Sep
5Oct
4Nov
2Dec
0
Magnitude distribution
Enhanced Fujita scale wind estimates
- EF0/F0
- 65–85 mph (EF0)
- EF1/F1
- 86–110 mph (EF1)
- EF2/F2
- 111–135 mph (EF2)
- EF3/F3
- 136–165 mph (EF3)
- EF4/F4
- 166–200 mph (EF4)
- EF5/F5
- over 200 mph (EF5)
- Unrated
- no rating recorded
Tornado rating as recorded (Fujita scale before February 2007, Enhanced Fujita after).
Recorded events
All 30 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Mar 2024 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Oct 2022 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jun 2022 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Sep 2019 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Sep 2019 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Apr 2004 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jul 1999 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Aug 1993 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Aug 1993 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Jan 1993 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jul 1988 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Nov 1986 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Nov 1986 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Mar 1985 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Mar 1985 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Mar 1985 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jul 1984 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Sep 1981 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Oct 1974 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Oct 1974 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jul 1974 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Oct 1972 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 1972 | Tornado | F1 | $2.5M | — | — | 8 | County |
| 21 Jun 1972 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 1972 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | 5 | County |
| 21 Jun 1972 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Sep 1971 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Aug 1970 | Tornado | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jul 1967 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Sep 1960 | Tornado | — | $25K | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Pinal County had?
30 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of tornadoes became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded tornado event in Pinal County?
7 Mar 2024 (Tornado, EF unrated). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Pinal County?
The tornado of 21 Jun 1972, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $2.5M.
How does Pinal County compare with Arizona for tornado?
0.6 events per 100 square miles against 0.3 statewide; the county holds 30 of the state's 306 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Tornado hub and the county page.