57
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$691K
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Kern County, California: 57 recorded events between 1960 and 2024. The strongest on record measured 72. That places the county #2,659 nationally and #7 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Kern County, California: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Kern County is the 2010s, when 25 of the county's 57 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Kern County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 6.9% of all recorded severe weather across 11 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #2,659 for this hazard and #7 within California, putting it in the 15.8 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Sep is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Kern County with 18 recorded events, while Dec is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1, 2024 | METTLER | 35 | $1K |
| Aug 19, 2023 | MC FARLAND | 43 | $5K |
| May 22, 2023 | (NID)NAF CHINA LAKE | 57 | $0 |
| Sep 9, 2021 | (EDW)EDWARDS AFB | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 18, 2021 | KERN CITY | 35 | $1K |
| Sep 9, 2017 | INYOKERN | 52 | $10K |
| Sep 4, 2017 | MC KITTRICK | 43 | $10K |
| Sep 4, 2017 | (BFL)MEADOWS FIELD AP | 35 | $10K |
| Sep 4, 2017 | PUMPKIN CENTER | 43 | $10K |
| Sep 4, 2017 | TUPMAN | 43 | $50K |
Other hazards here
More from Kern County
- Flood 325
- Flash Flood 134
- Heavy Rain 111
- Debris Flow 51
- Hail 41
- Lightning 41
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Thunderstorm wind, aided by terrain channeling up a mountain side, lifted a patio deck subsequently pulling the roof off from a house southwest of Stallion Springs. The damage was very localized, but totally demolishing one house. Small hail occurred with the thunderstorm passage as reported by a couple of witnesses.
Downburst wind struck Edwards AFB and caused damage to NASA facilities. This downburst raised dust to 1000 feet A.G.L. with visibilities down to only 650 feet as far as 15 miles away at California City. Damage was reported on the air base: windows broken, trees downed, and a couple of large aircraft moved.
Officials reported wind damage from thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 mph. Power interruptions and damages occurred to rooftop HVAC and roof membrane materials. Damages were estimated at 10,000 dollars by military officials.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Kern County, California?
57 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Kern County between 1960 and 2024, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Kern County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Kern County measured 72.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Kern County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Kern County, California.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/california/kern-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.