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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
Lassen County, California severe weather history spans 112 recorded events between 1957 and 2025. The dominant hazard is heavy rain, accounting for 54.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,844 nationally and #37 in California.
112
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
2
Direct injuries
$5.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Lassen County, California severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Lassen County, California severe weather history averages 1.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 48 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 7 events fall before 1990 and 105 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flood, with $5.5M in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Lassen County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Rain | 61 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2002–2025 |
| Hail | 16 | 0 | $0 | 1.75 | 1957–2022 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 13 | 0 | $2K | 65 | 1958–2017 |
| Flood | 9 | 0 | $5.5M | 0 | 2005–2025 |
| Tornado | 4 | 0 | $0 | EFU | 2015–2020 |
| Debris Flow | 4 | 0 | $15K | 0 | 2015–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–1999 |
| Flash Flood | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2002–2021 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–1997 |
Decade by decade
Lassen County, California severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
4 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-08-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2020-08-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2020-08-15 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 3.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2015-07-20 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 3.2 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Lassen County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 26, 1997 | Lightning | EAGLE LAKE RESORT | 0 | 2 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Extensive flooding was reported along the Susan River. Streets in Susanville and county roads were flooded. Flooding also occurred at a Union Pacific railroad trestle. Logs and other debris became lodged in the trestle and water was forced to flow around the trestle, flooding the area. Minor flooding was also reported on the Pit River near Bieber and Nubieber.
Major flooding on the Susan River caused extensive damage in and to the east of Susanville from the afternoon of the 9th into the 10th. The flooding prompted the evacuation of a number of homes and apartment complexes in Susanville during the afternoon and evening of the 9th. The damage estimate for this event is rough and could be significantly in error.
Minor flooding of the Susan River in Susanville with some agricultural flooding and water over Cutoff road off Highway 395 near Standish. Water remained there and over Mapes and Capazzoli Roads near Standish and downstream impacts along the Susan continued through the end of the year, though were minor with the water reported to be slow and shallow. This water eventually drains into Honey Lake, which is a dry lake basin otherwise.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
30,356
Population (ACS)
$265K
Median home value
19
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 24, 2021 | Fire | WILDFIRES | DR |
| Jul 20, 2021 | Fire | DIXIE FIRE | FM |
| Aug 22, 2020 | Fire | WILDFIRES | DR |
| Aug 22, 2020 | Fire | SHEEP FIRE | FM |
| 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 Lassen County, California?
112 events are on record between 1957 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $5.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Lassen County?
Heavy Rain, with 61 recorded events — 54.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Lassen County?
4 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 4 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Lassen County?
19 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Lassen County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Lassen County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lassen County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 73 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Lassen 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
- Lake County 53
- Los Angeles County 515
- Kings County 157
- Madera County 207
- Kern County 832
- Marin County 167
Cite this page
“Lassen County, California.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/california/lassen-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.