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Lassen-Eastern Plumas-Eastern Sierra Counties; Greater Lake Tahoe Area; Greater Lake Tahoe Area; Greater Reno-Carson City-Minden Area; Western Nevada Basin and Range including Pyramid Lake
Sierra County, California severe weather history spans 60 recorded events between 1992 and 2025. The dominant hazard is heavy rain, accounting for 76.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #3,016 nationally and #46 in California.
60
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$9.4M
Property damage
The record
What the Sierra County, California severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Sierra County, California severe weather history averages 1.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 30 events logged in that decade alone.
The deadliest hazard in the Sierra County, California record is lightning, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flood, with $7.8M in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Sierra County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Rain | 46 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1999–2025 |
| Hail | 6 | 0 | $0 | 1 | 1992–2015 |
| Flood | 3 | 0 | $7.8M | 0 | 2005–2023 |
| Debris Flow | 3 | 0 | $1.6M | 0 | 2017–2021 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 1 | 0 | $0 | 70 | 2003–2003 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | $0 | 0 | 2020–2020 |
Decade by decade
Sierra County, California severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Sierra County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 26, 2020 | Lightning | SIERRAVILLE DRWTR AR | 1 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A 47-year-old Nevada man died after being struck by lightning while on a jet ski at Stampede Reservoir in Sierra County on Saturday 25 July. His body went underwater near the boat ramp and divers later found his body 20 yards from the shoreline. The lightning also struck the man's son, who was knocked unconscious and was severely burned according to an eyewitness.
Flooding from creeks covered the intersection of Highways 49 and 89 in Sierraville on the afternoon of the 9th. Shallow water was photographed up against buildings at the Sierraville Ranger Station on the morning of the 10th. A washout caused the closure of Highway 49 between Sattley and Yuba Pass. Damage estimates are only for repairs to Highways 49 and 89 based on a CALTRANS report.
Debris in streams caused water to back up and caused flooding in portions of eastern Sierra County. Several buildings experienced flooding, including the U.S. Forest Service office in Sierraville. California Highway 89 was closed across Sierra County from the Nevada County line to Calpine.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
2,746
Population (ACS)
$332K
Median home value
16
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Mar 10, 2023 | Flood | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | EM |
| Aug 22, 2020 | Fire | WILDFIRES | DR |
| Mar 22, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Apr 1, 2017 | Flood | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Sierra County, California?
60 events are on record between 1992 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths and $9.4M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Sierra County?
Heavy Rain, with 46 recorded events — 76.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Sierra County?
16 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Sierra County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Sierra County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Sierra County as very low risk, placing it in the 32 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Sierra County, California severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Shasta County 193
- Siskiyou County 92
- Santa Cruz County 201
- Solano County 52
- Santa Clara County 264
- Sonoma County 419
Cite this page
“Sierra County, California.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/california/sierra-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.