Tuolumne County, California severe weather history spans 66 recorded events between 1996 and 2023. The dominant hazard is heavy rain, accounting for 28.8% of all recorded events. It ranks #3,002 nationally and #45 in California.
66
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$94.3M
Property damage
The record
What the Tuolumne County, California severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Tuolumne County, California severe weather history averages 2.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 31 events logged in that decade alone.
The deadliest hazard in the Tuolumne County, California record is flash flood, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flood, with $50.0M in reported property damage. In total, 10 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Tuolumne County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Rain | 19 | 0 | $6K | 0 | 1998–2021 |
| Flash Flood | 13 | 1 | $43.0M | 0 | 1996–2023 |
| Flood | 11 | 0 | $50.0M | 0 | 2018–2023 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 8 | 0 | $1.2M | 91 | 2006–2023 |
| Hail | 6 | 0 | $1K | 1.25 | 2005–2023 |
| Debris Flow | 3 | 0 | $50K | 0 | 2014–2017 |
| Wildfire | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–1996 |
| Lightning | 2 | 1 | $0 | 0 | 1999–2013 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2023–2023 |
| Tornado | 1 | 0 | $20K | EF1 | 2023–2023 |
Decade by decade
Tuolumne County, California severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
2 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 2 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-03-11 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1972-10-15 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Tuolumne County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 1, 2013 | Lightning | DARDANELLE | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Nov 22, 1996 | Flash Flood | SONORA | 1 | 0 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Thunderstorms developed in the afternoon along the Sierra Nevada crest and spread eastward. Witnesses reported a 66-year old female died in a campground after a lightning strike hit the area. No enter/exit woulds reported to confirm a direct hit. However, evidence would suggest cardiac arrest due to a lightning strike was likely the cause of death.
Extensive flooding in downtown Groveland, as floodwaters ran down the main street, Highway 120. Property was damage and water rescues for stranded residents. There was significant damage done to Groveland Community Hall and Mary Laveroni Community Park. Preliminary estimates from Tuolumne County are approximately $8 million for 16 damaged sites along county maintained roads. A very large portion of these damages are seen in the sinkhole at Ferretti Road and slides and embankment loss on Priest Coulterville Road.
An NWS storm survey team determined straight line winds from a micro-burst associated with a severe thunderstorm caused damage in Twain Harte, CA Numerous trees were brought down, and a home was damaged. Winds gusted to an estimated 105 mpg. Significant wind damage was done along Twain Harte Rd. with many trees and power lines knocked down as a severe thunderstorm passed through. A woman was briefly trapped in a damaged vehicle by a falling tree, and was rescued by the fire department. The woman was not injured.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
54,498
Population (ACS)
$433K
Median home value
21
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 |
| Jan 14, 2023 | Flood | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Aug 22, 2020 | Fire | WILDFIRES | DR |
| Mar 22, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Tuolumne County, California?
66 events are on record between 1996 and 2023, causing 2 direct deaths and $94.3M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Tuolumne County?
Heavy Rain, with 19 recorded events — 28.8% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Tuolumne County?
2 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 2 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Tuolumne County?
21 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Tuolumne County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Tuolumne County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Tuolumne County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 85 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Tuolumne 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
- Tulare County 474
- Ventura County 169
- Trinity County 72
- Yolo County 75
- Tehama County 139
- Yuba County 38
Cite this page
“Tuolumne County, California.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/california/tuolumne-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.