# Tornado Warning Issued for Coconino County, Arizona

> The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for parts of Coconino County, Arizona, citing radar-indicated rotation within a severe thunderstorm.

By PrimaryBrief newsroom · Published 2026-10-21T12:43:02.531295Z
Updated 2026-10-21T12:51:00.330452Z
Canonical: https://primarybrief.com/article/tornado-warning-issued-for-coconino-county-amid-conflicting-reports-08286a07

A tornado warning was issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) Flagstaff for parts of Coconino County, Arizona, on Wednesday, October 21 [1]. The warning was in effect from 5:49 AM MST until 6:15 AM MST on that day [1].

At 5:49 AM MST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Fort Valley [1]. This location is approximately 11 miles northwest of Flagstaff [1]. The storm was moving northeast at 35 miles per hour [1]. The NWS identified the hazards as a tornado and quarter-sized hail [1]. This assessment was based on radar-indicated rotation within the storm [1].

The NWS warned that flying debris would be dangerous to those caught without shelter [1]. Mobile homes were likely to be damaged or destroyed [1]. Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles was also expected [1]. Tree damage was considered likely as well [1].

Areas specifically impacted by the warning included Fort Valley, Arizona Snowbowl, Saddle Mountain, Kachina Peaks Wilderness, Lava River Cave, and Wing Mountain [1]. The warning also covered U.S. Highway 89 near mile marker 435 and Highway 180 between mile markers 227 and 240 [1].

This localized tornado warning occurred as much of Arizona was under a "flood watch" starting Wednesday [3]. The National Weather Service issued a flood advisory for the northern region of Arizona, effective from Wednesday morning through Thursday evening [3]. Starting around 6 AM on October 21, areas such as Flagstaff, Sedona, Camp Verde, and Tuba City had a high probability for precipitation that was expected to continue into Thursday [3]. Official weather advisories and alerts are regularly issued for Coconino County [2]. Coconino County also uses an emergency notification system to send real-time alerts to the public about life-saving actions [4].

## Evidence cited
1. NWS Tornado Warning: Coconino, AZ (nws_alerts) — https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.9e5ae57c4156f7066ac486ed60b76e50170b6956.001.1
2. Coconino, AZ Weather Advisories (accuweather.com) — https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/coconino-az/86001/weather-warnings/332219
3. Arizona will be under flood watch starting Wednesday (12news.com) — https://www.12news.com/article/weather/weather-alerts/arizona-weather-grand-canyon-state-flood-watch-tornado-forecast/75-3ad04bf1-b79e-473d-9f4c-1d07c030ac9a
4. Emergency Notifications | Coconino County (az.gov) — https://www.coconino.az.gov/2253/Emergency-Notifications