Payson

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond this area.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Every large fire

1. Large fires mapped by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program since 1984: 1,000 acres or more in the West, 500 or more in the East. Prescribed burns are excluded. Acres here are the part of each perimeter inside this place.

Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service), 1984 to 2026.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Flood insurance figures are for Gila County, the county that contains Payson.

Claims by ZIP code

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

River crests

River gauges in Gila County, the county that contains Payson.

River gauges

1. Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.

NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.

The drought index is for Gila County, the county that contains Payson.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the city centre.
2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Volcanoes within 100 miles

1. U.S. volcanoes within 100 miles, from the USGS Volcano Hazards Program. The threat category is the USGS 2018 National Volcanic Threat Assessment, which ranks volcanoes by how hazardous their past eruptions were and how many people and how much infrastructure lie near them. It is not a forecast of eruption.

USGS Volcano Hazards Program, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Mapped landslides

Landslides mapped in Gila County.

Mapped by AZ GS (126), NASA (3).

Deadly landslides

1. Landslides mapped in the USGS compilation of landslide inventories across the United States (version 3.0, 2025), rated probable or better. The compilation joins inventories made by federal and state agencies for different purposes and areas, so the number mapped in a county reflects how closely it has been surveyed as much as how often its slopes fail. An area with few records may simply not have been mapped. Deaths are as recorded in the inventories; a slide listed in two inventories is counted once.

USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0, retrieved October 27, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Jul 29, 2021Flash Flood$40.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   After 2.5-3.5 inches of rain fell over the northern portion of the Telegraph burn scar, runoff rapidly collected in Bloody Tanks Wash and flowed downstream through the town of Miami causing catastrophic damage. A rain gage in Russell Gulch to the south measured 2.01 inches of rain between 1316MST and 1414MST with a brief period where rain rates were as high as 8-9 inches per hour with 0.87 inches measured in 10 minutes. At 1438MST Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) reported US-60 was closed in both directions at mile post 243 due to water moving over the road. Between 1440MST and 1500MST, a trained spottered reported the flood water was coming out of the banks of the wash…

2. Sep 26, 2025Flash Flood$25.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Catastrophic and deadly flash flooding occurred in the Globe area following strong to severe thunderstorms that produced very high rainfall rates. Observed gauge reports and doppler radar rainfall estimates measured approximately 2 inches of rain within 30 minutes in the Globe area. A stream gauge along the typically dry Pinal Creek, just south of Downtown Globe, recorded a dramatic 6-foot rise in water in 30 minutes between 1825MST and 1855MST. This flood wave quickly moved through downtown Globe, overtopping bridges, inundating businesses, and sweeping away dozens of vehicles. Many sloped streets also became raging currents. Additionally, around 800 propane tanks were swept into…

3. Aug 18, 2021Flash Flood$8.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   After 2 to 4 inches of rain fell, beginning around 0830MST, over the 2021 Telegraph burn area, catastrophic flooding occurred in Claypool area between Miami and Globe. Runoff mostly collected in Russell Gulch and a few feet of floodwaters moved downhill through the Claypool community. Security cam footage from a pizza shop showed floodwaters reached US-60 near mile post 247 around 1056MST. US-60 became impassible a couple minutes later and was closed in both directions for a couple hours before being reopened around 1240MST. The same areas were impacted again in the mid-afternoon after another wave of flash flooding move through the area. The Gila County Emergency Manager…

4. Jun 4, 2021Wildfire, Pinal/Superstition Mountains$8.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Telegraph Fire began as a human-caused wildfire south of Superior, Arizona. The wildfire quickly grew and led to multiple extended road closures, which included Highway 177 between Superior and Winkelman, Highway 77 between Globe and Winkelman, and Highway 60 between Superior and Top-Of-The-World. In addition to the road closures, evacuation orders were issued for multiple communities, including Superior, Top-Of-The-World, El Capitan, and portions of Miami and Globe. Increasing monsoonal activity toward the end of June and into early July provided some aid in extinguishing the wildfire. The Telegraph Fire became fully contained by July 6th after burning 180,757 acres and…

5. Jul 10, 2024Wildfire, San Carlos$5.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Watch Fire began on the 10th before rapidly spreading during the afternoon of the 11th due to strong thunderstorm outflow winds in excess of 30-40 mph. The strong winds caused the fire to rapidly spread into southeast portions of San Carlos, destroying at least 21 homes and 13 auxiliary structures. The fire became 100 percent contained on the 17th after burning more than 2,000 acres. No injuries were reported.

6. May 30, 2009Wildfire, Northern Gila County$3.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The lightning cause Pioneer fire burned over 1,300 acres on the eastern side of the Pinal Mountains about 8 miles south of Globe. Total suppression cost was three million dollars.

7. Oct 12, 2025Flash Flood$3.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   U.S. 60 closed from Superior to Globe due to flooding in the Globe/Miami area with sections of the roadway, primarily near Milepost 241, washed away. No injuries reported.

8. Jun 18, 2020Wildfire, Northern Gila County$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Bush Fire burned over 20,000 acres of ranch land (cattle grazing) in Gila County. Much of the 30 mile pipe line used for providing water to the over 300 head of cattle was burned on just one ranch. Many miles of fence posts were burned. The burned land significantly increased the treat of flash flooding in Slate Creek.

9. Jul 4, 2021Flash Flood$800,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A significant flood wave of water, ash, mud, and other debris moved downstream in Pinal Creek through Six Shooter Canyon. Flood water escaped the banks of Pinal Creek in many locations and caused varying degrees of property damage to 15 homes along Six Shooter Canyon Road with one of the homes deemed a total loss. Photos and videos of two of the impacted homes showed 1-3 feet of water and debris moving through the the yards and up against the homes with water and mud entering the homes. There were also multiple videos that showed 1-2 feet of water and debris flowing rapidly down Six Shooter Canyon Rd from Delores Lane to at least Marlin Drive. In addition to the 15 damaged homes,…

10. Sep 23, 2019Flash Flood$200,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Copious amounts of tropical moisture spread northward and into the high terrain areas east of Phoenix during the early morning hours on September 23rd and as a result, numerous showers and thunderstorms developed. Many storm produced heavy rain with peak rain rates in excess of 2 inches per hour. The heavy rain resulted in episodes of flash flooding, affecting areas to the south and east of Lake Roosevelt including Tonto National Monument. At 0700MST a federal agency reported flash flooding on the upper cliff dwelling trail about 2 miles southeast of Roosevelt. Shortly thereafter, at 0730MST, a local emergency manager located 8 miles east-southeast of Roosevelt reported that 7…

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

107°F2 times, most recently Jul 28, 1995

All-time low

−9°FDec 23, 1990

Warmest night

73°F3 times, most recently Jul 30, 2023

Coldest day

24°FDec 31, 2010

Wettest day

5.36 inSep 5, 1970

Snowiest day

27.0 inFeb 4, 1983

Hottest year

1950mean 58.8°F

Coldest year

1973mean 53.3°F

Wettest year

197832.66 in

Driest year

20029.23 in

Snowiest season

85.0 in1967-68

Station Payson (USW00093139), 4,850 ft elevation, 1.7 miles from the city centre. Daily records from 1940 to October 27, 2026; 89.5% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

Declarations for Gila County.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USW00093139.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Volcanoes USGS Volcano Hazards Program, U.S. volcanoes and 2018 threat assessment.
• Landslides USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0 (2025).
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.