Violent storms swept through central and northern Arizona overnight and into Thursday morning, unleashing large hail, damaging winds and a suspected tornado that crushed structures and downed power lines, according to local officials and the National Weather Service.
The extreme weather battered communities with hail the size of golf balls, measuring between two and three inches wide. The projectiles shattered building windows, dented vehicles and ripped through roofs across several counties. Forecasters warned that the atmospheric instability also produced conditions capable of spinning up rare tornadoes, prompting officials to issue the state’s first tornado watches since October 2010.
Destruction in Navajo County
In Navajo County, roughly 140 miles northeast of Phoenix, a tornado warning was issued Wednesday night as a severe cell moved directly over the community of Heber-Overgaard. The town, which is home to approximately 3,000 residents, suffered extensive physical damage.
The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office reported significant structural destruction alongside minor injuries as trees fell onto homes and snapped utility poles. State Rep. Walt Blackman formally requested an emergency declaration for the affected area to help deliver state aid to devastated neighborhoods.
“We have families without power, significant property damage, and at least one reported injury,” Blackman said in a statement.
The storm struck while worshippers gathered at Overgaard Baptist Church for an evening prayer service. Parishioners took cover inside a restroom as winds lashed the sanctuary. Church leadership later shared that attendees survived uninjured despite external damage, posting that “we had a great prayer meeting in the women’s restroom.”
Unusual Conditions and Falling Pines
Meteorologists characterized the system as remarkably atypical for the autumn months in the desert Southwest. Warmer air laden with Pacific moisture moved northward from the California coastline, colliding with shifting upper-level winds to fuel rotation within the thunderstorm cells.
“This is very unusual for this area at this time of the year,” said Ryan Bernhart, a National Weather Service meteorologist based in Flagstaff. Bernhart explained that wind shear gave the storms enough spin to create localized twisters.
High winds also wreaked havoc across Flagstaff and Mesa, knocking heavy branches and mature trees onto carports, walls and neighborhood streets. In the Coconino National Forest northwest of Flagstaff, powerful gusts flattened several dozen ponderosa pine trees exceeding 30 feet in height.
“These are not small trees that are down,” Bernhart said. “These are pretty strong trees that had been knocked down.”
Ongoing Flood Risks Ahead
While northern communities worked to clear debris and restore downed electrical circuits, forecasters shifted attention toward the Phoenix metropolitan area. The weather service cautioned that widespread rain and flash flooding remain the most urgent hazards as the front tracks across central Arizona.
Mark O’Malley, a meteorologist with the weather service office in Phoenix, warned that heavy precipitation would pose severe water hazards through Thursday morning. Emergency personnel continue to monitor flood-prone washes and low-lying roadways across the region, while officials assess whether the destruction in Heber-Overgaard was caused by straight-line winds or a confirmed tornado touchdown.
