41,479
Recorded events
58
Counties covered
1,148
Direct deaths
$29.9B
Property damage
California severe weather history covers 41,479 recorded events across 58 counties between 1951 and 2026.
The California severe weather history record is dominated by high wind, which accounts for 17.2% of everything logged statewide across 6 counties. Statewide, recorded events have caused 1,148 direct deaths since 1950.
By hazard type
California severe weather history by hazard
| Hazard | Events | Counties | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Wind | 7,133 | 6 | 42 | $404.6M | 1996–2026 |
| Flood | 4,224 | 58 | 45 | $2.4B | 1996–2026 |
| Heavy Snow | 3,772 | 1 | 17 | $5.4M | 1996–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 2,775 | 53 | 68 | $1.4B | 1996–2026 |
| Dense Fog | 2,441 | 0 | 24 | $23.6M | 1996–2026 |
| Strong Wind | 2,377 | 4 | 35 | $40.1M | 1996–2026 |
| Heavy Rain | 2,045 | 58 | 22 | $391.9M | 1996–2026 |
| Drought | 1,870 | 2 | 0 | $50K | 1999–2025 |
| Winter Storm | 1,660 | 0 | 14 | $23.0M | 1996–2026 |
| Wildfire | 1,590 | 32 | 281 | $24.0B | 1996–2025 |
| Frost/Freeze | 1,503 | 4 | 0 | $9.4M | 1998–2026 |
| Excessive Heat | 1,481 | 0 | 67 | $7.5M | 2007–2025 |
| Winter Weather | 1,477 | 0 | 24 | $1.0M | 1996–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 1,335 | 56 | 20 | $56.2M | 1955–2026 |
| Heat | 1,200 | 0 | 143 | $200K | 1996–2026 |
| Hail | 936 | 58 | 1 | $26.0M | 1957–2026 |
| Debris Flow | 767 | 45 | 52 | $882.7M | 1998–2026 |
| High Surf | 501 | 2 | 90 | $70.3M | 1996–2026 |
| Tornado | 485 | 48 | 0 | $134.8M | 1951–2026 |
| Funnel Cloud | 444 | 42 | 0 | $20 | 1996–2025 |
| Lightning | 355 | 42 | 16 | $8.1M | 1996–2024 |
| Dust Storm | 234 | 0 | 6 | $3.2M | 1997–2025 |
| Cold/Wind Chill | 193 | 0 | 44 | $75K | 1997–2025 |
| Coastal Flood | 120 | 1 | 0 | $810K | 1998–2026 |
| Extreme Cold/Wind Chill | 119 | 0 | 1 | $230K | 2000–2022 |
| Rip Current | 116 | 7 | 73 | $100K | 1996–2024 |
| Avalanche | 56 | 0 | 30 | $910K | 1996–2026 |
| Waterspout | 44 | 10 | 0 | $0 | 1996–2001 |
| Blizzard | 44 | 0 | 0 | $150K | 1996–2024 |
| Dense Smoke | 35 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 2007–2022 |
| Storm Surge/Tide | 32 | 5 | 4 | $4.8M | 1997–2022 |
| Tropical Storm | 23 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 1997–2023 |
| Tsunami | 21 | 0 | 1 | $55.9M | 2006–2025 |
| Sneakerwave | 20 | 0 | 22 | $0 | 2012–2025 |
| Dust Devil | 18 | 10 | 2 | $84K | 1996–2024 |
| Astronomical Low Tide | 17 | 0 | 1 | $0 | 2016–2025 |
| Freezing Fog | 7 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 2013–2024 |
| Ice Storm | 7 | 0 | 2 | $1.1M | 1998–2020 |
| Marine High Wind | 1 | 0 | 1 | $50K | 1996–1996 |
| Lake-Effect Snow | 1 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 2021–2021 |
County index
Most active counties
| County | Events | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| San Bernardino County | 1,642 | 37 |
| San Diego County | 1,117 | 49 |
| Riverside County | 930 | 10 |
| Kern County | 832 | 2 |
| Fresno County | 783 | 4 |
| Los Angeles County | 515 | 13 |
| Tulare County | 474 | 4 |
| Sonoma County | 419 | 7 |
| Orange County | 393 | 17 |
| Inyo County | 302 | 2 |
| Santa Clara County | 264 | 3 |
| Imperial County | 257 | 2 |
| Mariposa County | 251 | 6 |
| Merced County | 249 | 0 |
| Sacramento County | 246 | 5 |
| Monterey County | 245 | 1 |
| Alameda County | 241 | 2 |
| Humboldt County | 239 | 5 |
| El Dorado County | 238 | 8 |
| Madera County | 207 | 0 |
| Santa Cruz County | 201 | 7 |
| Shasta County | 193 | 9 |
| Butte County | 179 | 0 |
| Ventura County | 169 | 3 |
| Placer County | 168 | 6 |
Full index
Every county in California
- San Bernardino County
- San Diego County
- Riverside County
- Kern County
- Fresno County
- Los Angeles County
- Tulare County
- Sonoma County
- Orange County
- Inyo County
- Santa Clara County
- Imperial County
- Mariposa County
- Merced County
- Sacramento County
- Monterey County
- Alameda County
- Humboldt County
- El Dorado County
- Madera County
- Santa Cruz County
- Shasta County
- Butte County
- Ventura County
- Placer County
- Marin County
- San Mateo County
- Santa Barbara County
- Kings County
- Mendocino County
- Tehama County
- Mono County
- San Francisco County
- Nevada County
- Plumas County
- San Joaquin County
- Lassen County
- Contra Costa County
- Napa County
- Siskiyou County
- San Luis Obispo County
- Stanislaus County
- Yolo County
- Trinity County
- Tuolumne County
- Sierra County
- Lake County
- Solano County
- Glenn County
- Calaveras County
- Del Norte County
- Alpine County
- San Benito County
- Yuba County
- Colusa County
- Modoc County
- Sutter County
- Amador County
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events are recorded in California?
41,479 events are on record across California, covering 58 counties between 1951 and 2026.
Which county in California has the most severe weather on record?
San Bernardino County leads California with 1,642 recorded events. Ranking reflects reported events, so densely populated counties tend to report more than sparsely populated ones.
Where does the California severe weather history data come from?
Totals are aggregated from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of United States severe weather reports, with FEMA and U.S. Census records providing risk and population context. Dates are UTC and recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“California Severe Weather History.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/state/california/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.