Arizona, 1997Tornado and Flooding in Arizona, October 2 to 22, 1997
October 2 to 22, 1997 · NWS FGZ · 10 events in 4 counties and zones
4 flood, 2 hail, 2 funnel cloud, 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
Open the live radar over this ground
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 10
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
Event by event
4 flood, 2 hail, 2 funnel cloud, 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Flood, Coconino
- When
- October 2, 3:45 AM MST to 4:10 AM MST
- Where
- Coconino County, Page
- Coordinates
- 35.839, -111.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy thunderstorm rains caused mudslides and flooding in the Wahweep area of Page, AZ closing Lakeshore Drive.
Flood, Yavapai
- When
- October 7, 6:40 AM MST to 7:30 AM MST
- Where
- Yavapai County, Cottonwood
- Coordinates
- 34.600, -112.554 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Highway 260 in Cottonwood flooded by heavy thunderstorm rains.
Hail, Coconino
- When
- October 7, 7:35 AM MST
- Where
- Coconino County, 8 mi E of Flagstaff
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.200, -111.500
Nickel-sized hail (0.88 inch diameter) reported at Walnut Canyon National Monument.
Flood, Coconino
- When
- October 7, 9:15 AM MST to 10:15 AM MST
- Where
- Coconino County, Flagstaff
- Coordinates
- 35.839, -111.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy rain from several thunderstorms caused widespread street flooding in south and west Flagstaff. Several traffic accidents were caused by heavy rain, poor visibility, and water on Interstates 40 and 17 in south Flagstaff. In west Flagstaff the westbound lane of Route 66 was closed due to ponding water.
Flood, Yavapai
- When
- October 7, 9:30 AM MST to 10:30 AM MST
- Where
- Yavapai County, Camp Verde
- Coordinates
- 34.600, -112.554 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy thunderstorm rains flooded several roads in Camp Verde, AZ causing over a dozen traffic accidents.
Hail, Navajo
- When
- October 7, 10:10 AM MST
- Where
- Navajo County, Heber
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 34.430, -110.600
Thunderstorm Wind, Apache
- When
- October 7, 12:30 PM MST
- Where
- Apache County, St Johns Muni Arpt
- Measured
- 56 kt (64 mph)
- Coordinates
- 34.520, -109.380
Thunderstorm wind gust of 56 kts/64 mph.
Tornado, Navajo
- When
- October 22, 2:05 PM MST to 2:15 PM MST
- Where
- Navajo County, 1 mi W of Holbrook
- Rating
- F0
- Path length
- 0.5 mi
- Path width
- 50 yd
- Coordinates
- 34.900, -110.180
Off-duty NWS employee reported the touchdown of a weak tornado.
Funnel Cloud, Apache
- When
- October 22, 2:25 PM MST to 2:45 PM MST
- Where
- Apache County, 28 mi NW of Concho
- Coordinates
- 35.396, -109.489 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
National Parks personnel reported a funnel cloud over the entrance of the Petrified Forest Wilderness.
Funnel Cloud, Navajo
- When
- October 22, 4:10 PM MST to 4:30 PM MST
- Where
- Navajo County, White Mtn Lake
- Coordinates
- 35.400, -110.321 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The public reported that two funnel clouds occurred simultaneously, about 3 miles apart, over White Mountain Lake.
- Flood
- Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
- Tornado
- A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
- Funnel Cloud
- A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- High Wind in Colorado, October 2, 1997$25,000 · 60 kt wind · 1 event
- High Wind in Colorado, October 2, 1997$20,000 · 60 kt wind · 1 event
- Flash Flood and Hail in Utah, October 2, 199758 kt wind · 3 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Florida, October 2, 19971 in hail · 3 events
- Flash Flooding in Puerto Rico, October 2, 19972 events
- High Wind in Oregon, October 2, 199760 kt wind · 2 events
- Wildfire in Idaho, October 2 to 3, 19972 events
- Flood in Puerto Rico, October 2, 19971 event
- Damaging Wind in Florida, October 2, 19971 event
- High Wind in Oregon, October 2, 199759 kt wind · 1 event
- Waterspout in Florida, October 2, 19971 event
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5620227, 5620232, 5620228, 5620229, 5620230, 5620231, 5620233, 5620315, 5620316, 5620317.