Arizona, 2002

Damaging Wind and Lightning Strike in Arizona, July 13, 2002

July 13, 2002 · NWS PSR · 2 events in 1 county or zone

1 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$50,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Phoenix, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 12, 9:10 PM MST, 5 hours 17 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 12, 9:10 PM MST, 5 hours 17 minutes before
AZZ020>028-CAZ030>033-131045-

SOUTHWEST ARIZONA/SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
910 PM MST FRI JUL 12 2002

.SYNOPSIS...
A LARGE HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED OVER NORTHERN UTAH WILL MOVE
SLOWLY SOUTHWARD THIS WEEKEND.  THE COMBINATION OF MOIST EASTERLY
WINDS...AND PLENTY OF HEATING WILL CONTINUE THE CHANCE FOR
AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND NEXT
WEEK.

.DISCUSSION...
UPPER HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS OVER NORTHERN UT GIVING A CONTINUED EAST
FLOW ALOFT OVER SW AZ / SE CA. A 250 MB JET CORE HAS ROTATED AROUND
THE HIGH AND HAS MOVED ACROSS CENTRAL AZ. WITH SW AZ / SE CA ON THE
SOUTH SIDE OF THIS JET...CAUSED MOST OF THE AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS
TO DECREASE AFTER SUNSET...WITH MOST OF THE ACTIVITY NORTH OF THE
JET. HOWEVER...ISOLATED STORMS HAVE DRIFTED SOUTHWARD INTO THE SW AZ
DESERTS THIS EVENING AND THIS ACTIVITY EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO
LATE EVENING HOURS BEFORE DECREASING. LOW LEVEL AIRMASS OVER THE
REGION CONTINUES DRY WITH MOST MOISTURE STILL REMAINING ABOVE 500
MB. NEW ETA STILL SHOWS LITTLE CHANGE IN MOISTURE CONTENT AND UPPER
FLOW FOR THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS. THUS...CONTINUED CHANCE OF AFTERNOON
AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF SOUTH
CENTRAL AZ...DRIFTING INTO THE DESERT REGIONS IN THE EVENINGS. TEMPS
ALSO TO SHOW LITTLE CHANGE NEXT COUPLE DAYS. NO UPDATES.  DKS

.PSR...NONE.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 13, 12:02 AM MST, 2 hours 25 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX, AZ
1202 AM MST SAT JUL 13 2002

TIME(MST)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0840 PM    TONOPAH                   AZ   WIND DAMAGE
07/12/02   MARICOPA                       2 POWER POLES BLOWN DOWN.

The radar

The Phoenix radar (KIWA), 36 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 09:24 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Maricopa

When
July 13, 2:27 AM MST
Where
Maricopa County, (Phx)sky Harbor Arpt
Measured
53 kt (61 mph)
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
33.433, -112.017

Lightning, Maricopa

When
July 13, 2:37 AM MST
Where
Maricopa County, Paradise Vly
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning struck a home in the 5600 block of N. Saguaro Road,.

What these are

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.
Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Arizona in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, July 2002

Sources

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5303696, 5303695.