Arizona, 2009

Dust Storm and Damaging Wind in Arizona, July 21, 2009

July 21, 2009 · NWS TWC · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A thunderstorm complex near Phoenix on the evening of July 21st produced a strong outflow boundary that pushed through much of Pinal and Pima counties. Other scattered thunderstorms in Pima county produced locally damaging downburst winds.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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
$7,000
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 happened

The episode as NWS TWC wrote it up.

A thunderstorm complex near Phoenix on the evening of July 21st produced a strong outflow boundary that pushed through much of Pinal and Pima counties. Other scattered thunderstorms in Pima county produced locally damaging downburst winds.

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 Tucson, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 21, 1:19 PM MST, 6 hours 3 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 21, 1:19 PM MST, 6 hours 3 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 21, 10:32 AM MST, 8 hours 50 minutes before
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The radar

The Tucson radar (KEMX), 123 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:22 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind, 1 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pima

When
July 21, 7:22 PM MST
Where
Pima County, 3 mi W of Sells
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$7,000
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
31.920, -111.931

Severe thunderstorm downburst winds downed several power poles and 10 power lines west of Sells. This caused a power disruption to the Papago Farms, Pisinimo, and Hickiwan areas.

Dust Storm, Southeast Pinal County

When
July 21, 11:19 PM MST to 11:30 PM MST
Where
Southeast Pinal County forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

A trained spotter reported near zero visibility in blowing dust at mile marker 214 along Interstate 10.

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.
Dust Storm
Blowing dust that reduced visibility to a quarter mile or less.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Arizona in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, July 2009

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 173888, 173543.