Josephine County, Oregon severe weather history spans 66 recorded events between 1969 and 2016. The dominant hazard is wildfire, accounting for 40.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #3,002 nationally and #21 in Oregon.
66
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$60K
Property damage
The record
What the Josephine County, Oregon severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Josephine County, Oregon severe weather history averages 1.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 35 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 2 events fall before 1990 and 64 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is lightning, with $60K in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Josephine County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | 27 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1999–2003 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 10 | 0 | $0 | 65 | 1969–2012 |
| Hail | 9 | 0 | $0 | 1.75 | 1995–2015 |
| Flood | 8 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2016 |
| Lightning | 5 | 0 | $60K | 0 | 1998–2007 |
| Flash Flood | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1999–2004 |
| Heavy Rain | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2005–2005 |
Decade by decade
Josephine County, Oregon severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A spotter in Selma reported standing water on roads and overflowing creeks at 17/1303 PST. A spotter 5NNW Wilderville reported that a stream behind the house flooded a pasture and that the water was about a foot away from the Fort Vannoy Elementary school fence at 17/1545 PST. At least one street in Grants Pass was closed due to flooding.
High water closed 2 of the 4 lanes on Highway 199 near Sauer's Flat. Water was also over Highway 238 between mileposts 20 and 23 near Applegate. Riverbank road near Wilderville was flooded in places with the worst flooding near Griffin Park. One foot of water was reported on Highway 199 near Selma. Many roads were closed near Selma and O'Brien due to flooding. Butch Knife Creek near Selma flooded.
Rainfall totals between 18/0800 and 21/0800 PST included 6.19 inches 1SW OBrien, 4.95 inches at the Sexton Summit ASOS, 4.27 inches at Illinois Valley Airport, and 2.10 inches 2 SW Provolt. No widespread flooding was reported, but there was flooding near small streams, in low-lying areas…and in urban areas.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
88,179
Population (ACS)
$404K
Median home value
24
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 22, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Sep 15, 2020 | Fire | WILDFIRES AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR |
| Sep 10, 2020 | Fire | SLATER FIRE | FM |
| Mar 28, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Sep 3, 2018 | Fire | HUGO ROAD FIRE | FM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Josephine County, Oregon?
66 events are on record between 1969 and 2016, causing 0 direct deaths and $60K in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Josephine County?
Wildfire, with 27 recorded events — 40.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Josephine County?
24 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Josephine County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Josephine County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Josephine County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 90 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Josephine County, Oregon 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
- Jefferson County 87
- Klamath County 94
- Jackson County 152
- Lake County 53
- Hood River County 27
- Lane County 112
Cite this page
“Josephine County, Oregon.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/oregon/josephine-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.