Campus Alert Archive
UA

70 MPH Microbursts Topple More Than 80 Trees Across UA Campus as Monsoon Storm Blacks Out 31,000 Tucson Residents

AZsevere stormemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On the evening of July 14, 2024, a powerful monsoon storm with multiple microbursts and winds exceeding 70 mph struck Tucson, causing widespread damage across the University of Arizona campus. More than 80 campus trees were destroyed by the storm and subsequent July storms, including iconic trees more than 80 years old. Tucson Electric Power reported 31,000 customers lost power.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
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Institution
University of Arizona
Public R1 · AZ
~50,000 studentsUAlert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTPush
Approximate reconstruction214 chars
UA ALERT: Severe thunderstorm with dangerous winds in the Tucson area. Seek shelter indoors immediately. Stay away from windows and exterior doors. Do not go outside until the storm passes. Winds may exceed 70 mph.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from multiple Tucson media outlets covering the severe monsoon storm
The storm consisted of multiple microbursts across the Tucson metro area with winds exceeding 70 mph
At the height of the storm, approximately 31,000 Tucson Electric Power customers lost power
ALL CLEARPush
Approximate reconstruction214 chars
UA ALERT UPDATE: Severe thunderstorm has passed. Use caution on campus due to downed trees and debris. Avoid damaged areas. Cleanup crews will begin work in the morning. Report hazards to UA Police at 520-621-8273.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from UA News and local media reporting on the aftermath
More than 80 campus trees were ultimately destroyed by this and subsequent July storms
Some of the lost trees were iconic campus landmarks more than 80 years old
Context

Background

On the evening of July 14, 2024, a powerful monsoon storm swept through Tucson, bringing multiple microbursts with winds exceeding 70 mph and causing widespread destruction across the city and the University of Arizona campus. The storm knocked out power to approximately 31,000 Tucson Electric Power customers and downed over 40 power poles. On campus, more than 80 trees were destroyed by this and subsequent July storms, including some iconic campus trees that were more than 80 years old. Cleanup crews were on campus early Monday morning, July 15, clearing debris and assessing the damage. Although no tornado was confirmed, the National Weather Service noted the storm produced widespread damage consistent with severe straight-line winds and microbursts across the metropolitan area. Hundreds of broken trees, damaged commercial structures, and fallen fencing were reported throughout Tucson.
Analysis

Key Findings

More than 80 campus trees were destroyed by July monsoon storms, including specimens more than 80 years old
Winds exceeding 70 mph caused damage across the entire Tucson metro area, not just campus
31,000 Tucson Electric Power customers lost power and over 40 power poles were damaged
No tornado was confirmed despite the severity of the damage; the NWS attributed it to microbursts
Outcome
Crews cleaned up tree debris across campus beginning Monday, July 15. Some of the destroyed trees were iconic campus landmarks more than 80 years old. Over 40 power poles were blown down or damaged across Tucson. No injuries were reported on campus.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    No tornado, but powerful storm left swath of damage across Tucson (Tucson.com)
    tucson.com
  2. Official
    Gallery: July storms take down more than 80 campus trees (UA News)
    news.arizona.edu
  3. News
    Powerful storm causes power outages, damage, swift water rescues (KOLD)
    kold.com
  4. Official
    Monsoon damages trees across U of A campus (UA News)
    news.arizona.edu
Tags
severe-stormmonsoonarizonatucsonwind-damagetree-damagepower-outagemicroburst
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion