The National Weather Service confirmed two EF1 tornadoes touched down during Wednesday’s storms in Arizona, one near Lookout Mountain in Yavapai County and another south-southwest of Heber-Overgaard in Navajo County. Damage surveys released Saturday by the NWS Flagstaff office confirmed both reached EF1 intensity, with estimated winds of 86 to 110 mph, according to Warning Coordination Meteorologist Megan Taylor.
The stronger of the two tornadoes developed about five miles south-southwest of Heber-Overgaard at 6:59 p.m. Wednesday and traveled north across Highway 260 before dissipating near Highway 277 at 7:10 p.m., according to the NWS.
It remained on the ground for roughly 11 minutes, covering 9.26 miles at a maximum width of 350 yards, with estimated peak winds of 110 mph, making it a higher-end EF1.
One person suffered a non-life-threatening injury while riding a bicycle, officials said. No deaths were reported.
The most significant damage occurred along the southern side of Highway 260 and in central Overgaard, where NWS survey teams documented damage to multiple homes and structures, including damaged roofing materials and numerous snapped and uprooted trees, according to the agency. Residents reported a lifted structure, a thrown 14-foot boat, flipped trailers and extensive tree and roof damage.
Heber-Overgaard Fire District Chief Jason Payne said most power was down in Overgaard and many propane tanks were hit by trees that had to be mitigated. Fire officials received more than a dozen 911 calls for downed power lines, damaged propane tanks and reports of people possibly trapped within the first 30 minutes of the storm, according to Payne.
Pastor Eric Woods of Overgaard Baptist Church said the tornado was “pretty terrifying” and he thought the roof was coming off the church when it hit. Woods, along with 15 others, had just finished a prayer service and took shelter in the women’s bathroom, the most secure windowless room in the building. He said the power “violently pounded off, and on, off, on” about three times before they heard the tornado, and the event lasted about a minute.
Navajo County Sheriff David Clouse said residents took cover in closets and bathrooms, especially those close enough to the damage path to hear the tornado coming. Several residents described seeing a funnel cloud outside their home as the force of the storm struck.
The first tornado developed near Lookout Mountain in Yavapai County at approximately 7:32 a.m. Wednesday and traveled northeast across Spruce Mountain and Walker Road before dissipating at 7:46 a.m., according to the NWS. It was on the ground about 14 minutes, covering 8.02 miles at a maximum width of 300 yards, with estimated peak winds of 105 mph. Numerous trees were uprooted or snapped throughout the mountainous terrain, and no injuries or fatalities were reported from that tornado.
NWS Flagstaff Warning Coordination Meteorologist Megan Taylor said surveyors examined fallen tree patterns to confirm tornadic damage. Officials emphasized both surveys remain preliminary and could be revised before publication in the NWS’s official Storm Data records.
Together, the two tornadoes traveled approximately 17.28 miles across northern Arizona, records show.
State Rep. Walt Blackman called on Gov. Katie Hobbs to declare a state of emergency in Navajo County as cleanup efforts continued, saying the storm caused “considerable damage” in the Heber-Overgaard area. Cleanup efforts were underway in the town following the storm.
The NWS worked with local emergency officials, residents and organizations including the Prescott National Forest and Groom Creek Fire District to document the damage, according to the agency.
NWS meteorologist Mark O’Malley with the Phoenix office noted Arizona recorded at least 15 tornado warnings during the week of the storms, calling it “a large number for Arizona.” Both tornadoes occurred Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, in Navajo and Yavapai counties, with one non-life-threatening injury and no fatalities reported across the two events.
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