Thunderstorms damaged a silo near Safford. Flooding caused road closures and evacuations to continue in Pinal County.
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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.
The episode as NWS TWC wrote it up.
Thunderstorms damaged a silo near Safford. Flooding caused road closures and evacuations to continue in Pinal County.
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 Aug 12, 3:03 PM MST, 1 hour 37 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tucson AZ 303 PM MST FRI AUG 12 2016 .SYNOPSIS...We will keep enough moisture for a chance of thunderstorms through Saturday, but then some drying from the west will limit thunderstorm development early next week. Deeper moisture will then bring an increasing chance of thunderstorms the second half of next week. && .DISCUSSION...Scattered showers and thunderstorms were occurring across portions of the White Mountains, southern Graham/northern Cochise Counties, and the Chiricahua Mountains in eastern Cochise County at this time. Other isolated showers and thunderstorms were also ongoing much further west across western Pima County. Expect isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms across much of southeast Arizona this evening followed by precip-free conditions area-wide late tonight. Various NWP models suggest that an upswing in shower/tstm coverage may occur Saturday afternoon and evening. These progs depict an increase in northeasterly mid-level steering flow to occur. As such, shower/tstm initiation will most likely occur during the late morning or early afternoon hours across the White Mountains. Showers and thunderstorms should then move/propagate southwestward during the late afternoon hours, and may reach the Tucson metro area by early evening. Thus, PoPs were increased slightly across far eastern sections, but a higher PoP increase was done mainly for the Tucson metro area Saturday evening. A slight chance of showers/tstms continues late Saturday night/Sunday morning across eastern sections. A similar scenario in reality may occur Sunday. However, the models are fairly similar with limiting the bulk of measurable rainfall across eastern sections. As such, PoPs depict a somewhat substantially downward trend Sunday afternoon/evening versus Saturday afternoon/evening. The drying trend that started today will be most pronounced on Monday as the mid-level flow turns more easterly. Expect just a few thunderstorms Monday afternoon/evening to be limited to near mountains east of Tucson. A slight upswing in shower/tstm coverage is forecast Tuesday, with a slight chance of showers/tstms as far west as Tucson. Thereafter, the 12/12Z GFS/ECMWF/CMC have tempered the prospect for showers/tstms Wed-Fri versus previous solutions. This seems to be a function of the mid-level flow progged now to remain more easterly versus a southeasterly trajectory as depicted via previous solutions. At any rate, only very minor PoP adjustments were made, and this translates into isolated to scattered mainly afternoon/evening showers/tstms next Wednesday into Friday. The lesser/isolated coverage is forecast to occur west of Tucson. High temps into the middle of next week will average at least a few degs above normal, then temps are expected to trend closer to seaonal normals late next week. && .AVIATION...Valid through 14/00Z. Isolated to scattered -TSRA/-SHRA thru 13/05Z with best coverage south-to-southeast of KTUS, and mainly near mountains east of KTUS to the New Mexico border. Thus KOLS/KDUG/KALK terminals have the highest impact. Brief MVFR and perhaps IFR conditions and wind gusts to 35 kts possible. Aft 13/05Z skies gradually clear with SHRA/TSRA redeveloping after 13/19Z. Otherwise, surface winds generally NW 5- 15 kts becoming variable less than 10 kts this evening then easterly to 10 kts developing Saturday aftn. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF amendments. && .FIRE WEATHER...Showers and thunderstorms will end this evening with another round of storms expected later Saturday afternoon and evening. There is potential Saturday for thunderstorms to develop over the Rim area and push SW with strong winds. In general, storms tomorrow will move to the SW or W. Sunday into early next week will be drier and warmer with less convection, then moisture should increase again later in the week. && .TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...None. && DISCUSSION...Francis AVIATION/FIRE WEATHER...Cerniglia Visit us on Facebook...Twitter...YouTube...and at weather.gov/Tucson
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ 358 PM MST FRI AUG 12 2016 AZZ501-502-122345- WESTERN PIMA COUNTY INCLUDING AJO/ORGAN PIPE CACTUS NATIONAL MONUMENT-TOHONO O'ODHAM NATION INCLUDING SELLS- 358 PM MST FRI AUG 12 2016 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR UNTIL 445 PM MST... AT 356 PM MST...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM ABOUT 12 MILES EAST OF WHY. THIS STORM WAS JUST NORTH OF HIGHWAY 86 AND MOVING SOUTH AT 15 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... CHARCO 27 AND KUAKATCH. LAT...LON 3232 11259 3232 11245 3213 11243 3213 11270 TIME...MOT...LOC 2256Z 341DEG 14KT 3221 11252
The Tucson radar (KEMX), 135 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:38 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Gusty thunderstorm outflow winds destroyed a metal silo. The winds moved the nearly empty silo about 60 feet.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, August 2016
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: 655888.