Surprise, AZ Tornado History — 34 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Surprise, AZ had?
Surprise has had 34 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950.
When was the most recent tornado near Surprise?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Surprise was an EF0 on November 29, 2019.
When is tornado season in Surprise?
August is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Surprise, 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 Surprise
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 6 total, averaging 0.3 per year over this window.
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
Have any tornadoes near Surprise been fatal?
No fatalities are on record within 25 miles of Surprise from any of the 34 tornadoes since 1950, though 11 injuries have been reported. NOAA Storm Prediction Center records.
Notable Tornadoes Near Surprise
About Tornadoes in Surprise
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.
Surprise lies on the northwestern edge of the Phoenix metropolitan area in Maricopa County, where the North American monsoon and, less often, winter Pacific storm systems can spin up tornadoes over the desert floor. On June 22, 1972, an F2 tornado tracked 13.5 miles through the area on a funnel roughly 10 yards wide, injuring three people and causing $27.5 million in property damage. Other F2s have struck as well: one on October 4, 1968 injured three people and did $275,000 in damage along a short path, and another touched down on September 15, 1971, near the tail end of that year's monsoon. August has been a recurring month for weaker tornadoes, with F1s touching down on August 9 and again on August 17, 1983.
Cool-season storms have left their mark too. An F2 on January 17, 1993 carved a 2.1-mile path and caused $2,750,000 in damage, and brief winter touchdowns followed on February 13, 1992 and February 8, 1994.
More recent activity has stayed at the weak end of the scale: EF0 tornadoes touched down on October 6, 2015, August 4, 2017, and October 23, 2018, and the fall of 2019 brought an EF0 on September 23 followed by two more EF0s on November 29.