40
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$4.5M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Tulare County, California: 40 recorded events between 1966 and 2023. The strongest on record measured 62. That places the county #2,803 nationally and #8 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Tulare County, California: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Tulare County is the 2000s, when 20 of the county's 40 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 Tulare County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 8.4% of all recorded severe weather across 12 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #2,803 for this hazard and #8 within California, putting it in the 11.2 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Tulare County with 12 recorded events, while Jun 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 5, 2023 | TRAVER | 35 | $1K |
| Feb 6, 2023 | TRAVER | 35 | $1K |
| Jun 18, 2021 | DELFT COLONY | 35 | $1K |
| Apr 3, 2019 | PAIGE | 43 | $50K |
| Sep 12, 2017 | TIPTON | 43 | $10K |
| Sep 4, 2017 | PIXLEY | 35 | $1K |
| Mar 22, 2017 | TULARE AIRPARK | 50 | $20K |
| Feb 28, 2014 | PORTERVILLE | 50 | $2.0M |
| Jul 22, 2013 | WILSONIA | 50 | $25K |
| May 10, 2011 | EXETER | 45 | $5K |
Other hazards here
More from Tulare County
- Flood 218
- Heavy Rain 47
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
NWS officials toured damage around the town of Orosi in Tulare County. Extensive wind damage from thunderstorm outflow in the town was evident. Several homes exhibited minor roof damage. Fences and trees were damaged or downed. Property damages were estimated. NWS concluded that a gust front tornado, commonly called a gustnado, occurred in this location, based on damage pattern as well as patterns indicated in tall dry grass and tree trunks and tops, and eyewitness accounts. Gust front tornadoes can occur in the outflow of a severe thunderstorm and are not considered to be true tornadoes. Winds were estimated at 60 mph.
National Weather Service survey conducted with straightline winds causing damage approximately three miles from the northwest to the southeast into the City of Visalia. Trees toppled, lines downed, minor structures moved, fences downed, and roof damage occurred. Newspaper accounts gave the time of start by eyewitnesses at 1940 PDT. Radar indicated 60 dBZ prior to the storm but it is unknown if the cell got stronger at the time of this report. Radar information is believed to be archived.
Thunderstorm wind (estimated at more than 35Kts) toppled trees in Tulare causing power problems for 15,000 power customers in the South San Joaquin Valley. One tree fell on a home in southeast Tulare. Total rainfall in the Tulare area with the rain/wind storm was 1.36".
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Tulare County, California?
40 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Tulare County between 1966 and 2023, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Tulare County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Tulare County measured 62.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Tulare 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 Tulare County, California.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/california/tulare-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.