197
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
10
Direct injuries
$5.4M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in San Bernardino County, California: 197 recorded events between 1957 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 90. That places the county #1,065 nationally and #1 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in San Bernardino County, California: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in San Bernardino County is the 2010s, when 51 of the county's 197 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 San Bernardino County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 12.0% of all recorded severe weather across 12 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,065 for this hazard and #1 within California, putting it in the 66.2 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in San Bernardino County with 69 recorded events, while Jan 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.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 5, 2022 | HAVASU LAKE | 50 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 3, 2009 | MOONRIDGE | 48 | 1 | 0 | $20K |
| Jul 20, 1985 | 0 | 0 | 4 | $0 | |
| Aug 9, 2019 | (EED)NEEDLES ARPT | 43 | 0 | 1 | $10K |
| Aug 16, 2018 | MT AFTON | 43 | 0 | 1 | $30K |
| Aug 2, 2018 | DUNN | 43 | 0 | 1 | $25K |
| Aug 12, 2014 | NEEDLES | 65 | 0 | 1 | $1.0M |
| Aug 26, 2000 | YUCCA VLY | 0 | 0 | 1 | $1K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 19, 2026 | BIG BEAR CITY | 50 | $0 |
| Feb 18, 2026 | BLUE JAY | 50 | $0 |
| Feb 18, 2026 | SUGARLOAF | 50 | $0 |
| Sep 26, 2025 | MOORE | 51 | $0 |
| Sep 2, 2025 | TWENTY NINE PALMS | 50 | $0 |
| Aug 25, 2025 | TWENTY NINE PALMS | 65 | $0 |
| Aug 25, 2025 | LUCERNE VLY | 50 | $0 |
| Aug 22, 2024 | (EED)NEEDLES ARPT | 57 | $0 |
| Aug 21, 2024 | (EED)NEEDLES ARPT | 52 | $0 |
| Aug 11, 2024 | MOORE | 52 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from San Bernardino County
- Flash Flood 836
- Flood 160
- Heavy Rain 124
- Wildfire 90
- Hail 67
- Lightning 63
- Debris Flow 50
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Waves estimated to be six feet high swept across Lake Havasu due to severe thunderstorm winds. Multiple boaters in distress were rescued from their crafts and from the water. One person was trapped under a capsized craft near the Havasu Landing Casino and drowned.
Thunderstorm winds blew the roofs off two restaurants, damaged several roofs of homes, blew down some signs and at least 50 power poles, and blew down several trees in and around Needles. One person was injured when a roof collapsed.
A powerful thunderstorm produced strong winds that blew mobile homes off their foundations and knocked down 22 power poles that left about 3000 people without power. About 12 mobile homes were severely damaged and two cars were crushed by a toppled mobile home. Several roads around town were closed due to debris in the roadway.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in San Bernardino County, California?
197 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in San Bernardino County between 1957 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in San Bernardino County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in San Bernardino County measured 90.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for San Bernardino 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 San Bernardino County, California.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/california/san-bernardino-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.