California Storm & Severe Weather History
Since 1951, California has logged 41,535 severe-weather events — about 561 a year — with 1,150 direct deaths, 4,296 injuries and $29.9B in reported property damage.
By event type
High Wind7,14942 d$404.7M
Flood4,23145 d$2.4B
Heavy Snow3,77217 d$5.4M
Flash Flood2,78568 d$1.4B
Dense Fog2,44124 d$23.6M
Strong Wind2,39136 d$40.1M
Heavy Rain2,04622 d$391.9M
Drought1,870—$50K
Winter Storm1,66014 d$23.0M
Wildfire1,592281 d$24.0B
Frost/Freeze1,503—$9.4M
Excessive Heat1,48167 d$7.5M
Winter Weather1,47724 d$1.0M
Thunderstorm Wind1,33620 d$56.2M
Heat1,200143 d$200K
Hail9361 d$26.0M
Events by year
19512026
Notable events (781)
Events with deaths, major damage, or a strong tornado — deadliest first.
FloodJanuary 1, 2023
San Joaquin · $107.0M damage
FloodJanuary 1, 2006
Sonoma · $104.0M damage
FloodDecember 31, 2005
Sonoma · $104.0M damage
FloodDecember 19, 2010
San Bernardino · $97.0M damage
Flash FloodFebruary 14, 2019
Riverside · $70.0M damage
Heavy RainJanuary 7, 2005
San Bernardino · $70.0M damage
WildfireSeptember 8, 1999
Monterey · $66.9M damage
WildfireOctober 22, 2007
San Bernardino County Mountains · 9 injured · $65.0M damage
WildfireMay 11, 2022
Orange County Coastal · $60.0M damage
WildfireJanuary 8, 2007
Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area · $60.0M damage
WildfireJuly 27, 2018
Mountains Southwest Shasta County To Northern Lake County · 12 injured · $56.0M damage
WildfireSeptember 9, 2024
Santa Ana Mountains And Foothills · 22 injured · $50.0M damage
WildfireAugust 16, 2016
San Bernardino County Mountains · $50.0M damage
Flash FloodJuly 19, 2015
Riverside · 1 injured · $50.0M damage
WildfireOctober 22, 2007
San Bernardino County Mountains · 1 injured · $50.0M damage
WildfireOctober 21, 2007
San Diego County Mountains · $50.0M damage
WildfireOctober 21, 2007
San Diego County Coastal Areas · $50.0M damage
WildfireOctober 21, 2003
San Bernardino · 35 injured · $50.0M damage
Debris FlowOctober 3, 2007
San Diego County Coastal Areas · $48.0M damage
WildfireAugust 1, 2002
Tulare · $45.7M damage
Flash FloodMarch 22, 2018
Tuolumne · $43.0M damage
FloodDecember 29, 2005
Mendocino Interior · $42.2M damage
FloodMarch 4, 2023
Tuolumne · $42.0M damage
High SurfAugust 26, 2014
Los Angeles County Coasts Including Downtown Los Angeles · $40.0M damage
Flash FloodAugust 25, 2013
San Bernardino · $40.0M damage
Heavy RainFebruary 18, 2005
San Bernardino · $40.0M damage
WildfireOctober 21, 1996
San Diego · 6 injured · $37.4M damage
FloodDecember 19, 2010
Orange · $36.0M damage
Flash FloodFebruary 23, 1998
San Bernardino · $35.9M damage
High WindOctober 21, 2007
San Bernardino And Riverside County Valleys - The Inland Empire · $35.0M damage
FloodJanuary 1, 1997
Redwood Coast · $30.3M damage
Flash FloodJanuary 22, 2024
San Diego · $30.0M damage
Flash FloodSeptember 1, 2023
Imperial · $30.0M damage
WildfireDecember 7, 2017
San Diego County Valleys · $30.0M damage
WildfireSeptember 1, 2020
Southern Trinity · $27.2M damage
Debris FlowJune 1, 2005
Orange County Coastal Plain · 5 injured · $27.0M damage
TsunamiMarch 11, 2011
Northern Monterey Bay · $26.6M damage
WildfireSeptember 2, 2025
Northern San Joaquin Valley · $25.0M damage
WildfireSeptember 2, 2025
Motherlode/Camptonville To Groveland · 1 injured · $25.0M damage
WildfireOctober 9, 2017
Orange County Inland · $25.0M damage
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to date. The early decades (tornadoes from 1950, hail and wind from 1955) are mostly tornadoes; all event types are recorded consistently only from 1996. The "notable" list is filtered to events with fatalities, major damage or a strong tornado. Damage is the reporting office's estimate. A record of past weather is not a forecast. See About the Data.