Sahuarita, AZ Tornado History — 20 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Sahuarita, AZ had?
Sahuarita has had 20 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950.
When was the most recent tornado near Sahuarita?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Sahuarita was an Unrated on September 16, 2025.
When is tornado season in Sahuarita?
July is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Sahuarita, with 7 on record. Spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Sahuarita
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 7 total, averaging 0.3 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Sahuarita since December 29, 2025
These is a preliminary report, not confirmed tornadoes. It has not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and is not counted in the confirmed totals above.
Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete. Ratings are omitted until a survey assigns one.
Confirmed records above are complete through December 29, 2025. NOAA publishes the confirmed archive annually, so tornadoes after that date appear here first and move into the totals above once finalized.
Within 25 miles of Sahuarita. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
Tornadoes by Decade
Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating
F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.
Tornadoes by Month
Casualties on Record Near Sahuarita
3 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Sahuarita since 1950, across 2 events. 51 injuries have been reported across all events. 1964 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F2 on August 27, 1964, which caused 2 fatalities along a 0.1-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Sahuarita
About Tornadoes in Sahuarita
This overview was written July 28, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
Sahuarita sits in the Santa Cruz River valley of Pima County, south of Tucson, and its tornado history is bound to the North American monsoon. The tornadoes verified near the town have clustered in midsummer and early fall, when moisture drawn north from the Gulf of California fuels afternoon thunderstorms over the desert floor.
That monsoon pattern has produced deadly storms. On August 27, 1964, an F2 tornado struck the area, killing two people and injuring nine along a path about 0.1 mile long and just 10 yards wide, with $27,500 in property damage. On June 23, 1974, an F1 tornado killed one person and injured 40 along a mile-long, 50-yard-wide track, causing $275,000 in damage; a second tornado, rated F0, touched down in the area that same day.
Later summers brought more touchdowns, including two F1 tornadoes on July 17, 1984, and another F1 on July 7, 1992. Recent activity has been weaker: EF0 tornadoes touched down on August 29, 2015, August 10, 2019, and August 25, 2022, followed by an EF1 on July 3, 2024. Tornadoes were again reported near Sahuarita on September 12 and September 16, 2025 — a reminder that each monsoon season can still spin up whirlwinds over the Santa Cruz valley.