October 2010 Arizona tornado outbreak
 A home damaged by an EF2 tornado in Bellemont, Arizona | |
| Type | Tornado outbreak |
|---|---|
| Duration | October 6, 2010 |
| Tornadoes confirmed | 9 confirmed |
| Max rating1 | EF3 tornado |
| Duration of tornado outbreak2 | 1:58 a.m. – 1:05 p.m. MST (11 hours, 57 minutes) |
| Damage | $332 million |
|
1Most severe tornado damage; see Enhanced Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado | |
The October 2010 Arizona tornado outbreak was the largest single-day tornado-event in Arizona history, with eight tornadoes touching down. Additionally, a brief tornado touched down in Utah.
Meteorological synopsis
On October 5 and 6, 2010, a strong area of low pressure situated off the coast of California produced a southerly flow of warm, moist air into Arizona. Warm surface temperatures and clear skies throughout the day on October 5 allowed for significant instability, resulting in scattered severe thunderstorms during the late afternoon, evening and overnight hours. These storms produced widespread damaging hail, ranging up to 2.75 in (7.0 cm) in diameter, and hurricane-force wind gusts of 86 mph (138 km/h). Throughout the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, 2 in (5.1 cm) hail caused considerable damage to hundreds of structures. A tornado watch was issued by the Storm Prediction Center earlier that day. Tornado Warnings were issued during the evening and overnight/early morning hours by the local NWS offices in Phoenix and Flagstaff when strong rotation was visible within the t-storms on radar.
9 confirmed tornadoes were reported by the Flagstaff office of the National Weather Service.
Confirmed tornadoes
| EF0 | EF1 | EF2 | EF3 | EF4 | EF5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
October 6 event
| List of reported tornadoes - Wednesday, October 6, 2010 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | | | |
| Arizona | ||||||
| EF1 | NE of Clint's Well | Coconino | 34°28′59″N 111°17′24″W / 34.483°N 111.29°W | 0858 | 14.06 miles (22.63 km) | Many trees were knocked down with several forest roads blocked. |
| EF2 | Bellemont area (1st tornado) | Coconino | 34°59′11″N 111°52′16″W / 34.9863°N 111.871°W | 1153 | 34.14 miles (54.94 km) | Unusually long-lived tornado remained on the ground for 51 minutes along a path 34.14 mi (54.94 km) long, ranking it as the longest tracked tornado in Arizona history. Over 100 houses and several businesses were damaged, including at least 21 houses that were destroyed. Massive tree damage was also reported with thousands of trees snapped, and campers isolated as a result. An RV dealer was impacted, with many vehicles destroyed. Seven people were injured. |
| EF2 | Bellemont area (2nd tornado) | Coconino | 34°59′51″N 111°52′37″W / 34.9976°N 111.877°W | 1254 | 32.02 miles (51.53 km) | Long track (second longest in the state's history), large wedge tornado derailed a train and damaged 28 rail cars. Forest damage was severe and many roads were blocked, and thousands of trees snapped. Power poles were also snapped. |
| EF2 | S of Bellemont | Coconino | 34°58′57″N 111°55′37″W / 34.9824°N 111.927°W | 1350 | 18.55 miles (29.85 km) | Tornado remained in forested areas with severe tree damage. |
| EF2 | NNW of Sedona Airport | Coconino | 34°58′52″N 111°52′34″W / 34.981°N 111.876°W | 1610 | 2.77 miles (4.46 km) | Significant tree damage in the area. |
| EF0 | SE of Cordes Lakes | Yavapai | 34°08′09″N 112°03′18″W / 34.1358°N 112.055°W | 1730 | 7.26 miles (11.68 km) | Tornado remained over grasslands east of Interstate 17. |
| EF3 | SE of Tuba City | Coconino | 35°56′03″N 111°00′04″W / 35.9342°N 111.001°W | 1905 | unknown | Very large tornado, estimated at 0.625 mi (1.006 km) wide, tracked over an unpopulated region. Three metal truss transmission towers were destroyed - one of which was flattened - on the Navajo Nation. Aside from this, no other damage took place and a track could not be determined as the area covered by the tornado was remote wilderness. This was one of three EF3 tornadoes in the state since 1950. |
| EF0 | S of Munds Park | Coconino | 34°56′25″N 111°39′54″W / 34.9404°N 111.665°W | 1905 | 17.05 miles (27.44 km) | Tornado visually observed in several locations with minimal damage. Houses sustained damage to windows and siding. |
| Utah | ||||||
| EF0 | WSW of Canyonlands National Park | Wayne | 38°17′N 110°17′W / 38.28°N 110.28°W | 2000 | 1.24 miles (2.00 km) | About 30 juniper trees were snapped or uprooted in a remote forested area. |
| Sources:
SPC Storm Reports for 10/06/10, NWS Flagstaff, NCDC Storm Data | ||||||
Hailstorms
Prior to the tornado outbreak, widespread hail impacted southern Arizona. In some instances, record or near-record-sized hailstones were measured and the largest stone reached 2.75 in (7.0 cm) in diameter.[1] Overall, the hail caused roughly $330 million in damage and injured one person.[2]
See also
References
- ↑ "Tornado Outbreak Strikes Northern Arizona". National Weather Service in Flagstaff, Arizona. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. October 12, 2010. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
- ↑ "NCDC Storm Events Database". National Climatic Data Center. 2011. Retrieved June 22, 2011.