Prescott Metro Area Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
The chance of earthquake damage in Prescott Area is higher than Arizona average and is lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Prescott Area is about the same as Arizona average and is much lower than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #191
| Prescott Area | 0.36 |
| Arizona | 0.13 |
| U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #81
| Prescott Area | 0.0022 |
| Arizona | 0.0015 |
| U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #805
| Prescott Area | 12.96 |
| Arizona | 22.18 |
| U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 1,913 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Prescott Area were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:
| Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
| Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 0 | Cold: | 0 | Dense Fog: | 0 | Drought: | 0 |
| Dust Storm: | 1 | Flood: | 315 | Hail: | 414 | Heat: | 0 | Heavy Snow: | 0 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 0 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 3 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 769 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 21 | Winter Storm: | 0 | Winter Weather: | 0 |
| Other: | 390 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
A total of 2 volcanoes are found in or near Prescott Area.
| Distance (miles) | Name | Region | Latitude | Longitude | Elevation (foot) | Type | Status | Last Eruption |
| 79.4 | Sunset Crater | US-Arizona, United States | 35.37 | -111.5 | 2447 | Cinder cone | Dendrochronology | Last known eruption A.D. 1-1499 |
| 124.8 | Uinkaret Field | US-Arizona, United States | 36.38 | -113.13 | 1555 | Volcanic field | Holocene | Undated, but probable Holocene eruption |
Historical Earthquake Events
A total of 4 historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Prescott Area.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Depth (km) | Latitude | Longitude |
| 4.7 | 1976-02-04 | 5.2 | 12 | 34.66 | -112.5 |
| 2.8 | 1976-02-09 | 4.6 | 10 | 34.61 | -112.53 |
| 44.7 | 1971-11-04 | 3.7 | 5 | 35.2 | -112.2 |
| 8.9 | 1976-02-23 | 3.5 | 10 | 34.68 | -112.43 |
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 2 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Prescott Area.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 10.3 | 1972-08-10 | 3 | 34°45'N / 112°28'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Yavapai | |||
| 47.2 | 2010-10-06 | 2 | 34°58'N / 111°52'W | 35°01'N / 111°52'W | 3.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Coconino |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: Short path of significant tornado damage between two other tracks near the Mogollon Rim. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A strong low pressure center over California pushed abundant moisture over Arizona producing widespread thunderstorms with numerous severe storms. Strong vertical wind shear...with helicity in the 400-450 range...also provided an environment for supper cell development. There were eight confirmed tornadoes on October 6, 2010 across northern Arizona. This breaks the old record for the most tornadoes in Arizona for one day. The Arizona Governor signed a declaration of emergency for Coconino Country for $200,000 to be used for emergency response and public infrastructure repair. | |||||||||||
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.