Live
Active alerts for this county
Lake Wind Advisory
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
Plumas County, California severe weather history spans 120 recorded events between 1992 and 2026. The dominant hazard is heavy rain, accounting for 51.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,815 nationally and #35 in California.
120
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$26.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Plumas County, California severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Plumas County, California severe weather history averages 3.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 57 events logged in that decade alone.
The deadliest hazard in the Plumas County, California record is lightning, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is wildfire, with $22.7M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Plumas County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Rain | 62 | 0 | $1K | 2.3 | 2000–2025 |
| Hail | 20 | 0 | $100 | 1.75 | 1992–2020 |
| Flood | 15 | 0 | $3.1M | 0 | 1997–2026 |
| Debris Flow | 14 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2012–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–2014 |
| Wildfire | 3 | 0 | $22.7M | 0 | 1999–2000 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 2 | 0 | $675K | 43 | 2015–2015 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2009 |
Decade by decade
Plumas 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 Plumas County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 4, 2009 | Lightning | PORTOLA | 1 | 0 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The Plumas County Sheriff's Department reported that a woman was struck by lightning at her home in Portola. She was transported by helicopter to the U.C. Davis Medical Center. She never regained consciousness and died from her injuries on June 11th.
The Middle Fork of the Feather River saw record flooding (a record crest at Portola on the 10th) and caused extensive structural damage in Portola, Clio, and downstream to Blairsden. Highway 89 was closed near Clio due to water over the road. Many schools were closed on the 9th in the Portola area and along the Feather River. Damage estimate only for repairs to Highway 89 (per a CALTRANS report) so actual flooding damage likely much higher.
Wind damage was focused on Lake Almanor Peninsula and Lake Almanor West with reports of trees into 3 homes, downed power lines, a propane release and other damages. Major damage was done to one home, minor damage to 2 other homes on the Peninsula. Three vehicles were damaged including a Sheriff Deputy patrol car. Many residents suffered mud and debris problems in yards and driveways. Highway 32 was closed near the causeway due to a debris flow across the roadway.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
19,423
Population (ACS)
$360K
Median home value
23
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 24, 2021 | Fire | WILDFIRES | DR |
| Jul 20, 2021 | Fire | DIXIE FIRE | FM |
| Sep 9, 2020 | Fire | BEAR FIRE | FM |
| Aug 22, 2020 | Fire | WILDFIRES | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Plumas County, California?
120 events are on record between 1992 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $26.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Plumas County?
Heavy Rain, with 62 recorded events — 51.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Plumas County?
23 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Plumas County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Plumas County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Plumas County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 86 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Plumas 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
- Placer County 168
- Riverside County 930
- Orange County 393
- Sacramento County 246
- Nevada County 126
- San Benito County 38
Cite this page
“Plumas County, California.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/california/plumas-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.