National Storms

California tornado history

From 1950 through 2025, 487 tornadoes touched California, according to the NOAA Storm Prediction Center, the 31st most of the 48 contiguous states and DC. None was rated F4/EF4 or stronger by the National Weather Service; along their paths they killed 0 people and injured 97. From 2016 to 2025, California averaged 6 tornadoes a year. SPC has logged 7 preliminary tornado reports in California in 2026 (latest May 3, 2026).

487tornadoes since 1950
612016–2025
2F3/EF3 or stronger
0deaths
97injuries
Apr 1, 2025latest in final record

Map of every California tornado path since 1950

Rating: 012345 unknown or preliminaryLines run from the start to the end point of each path; dots mark where each tornado touched down.

All 487 paths plus 7 preliminary 2026 reports (gray dots). Zoom in to your county; click a path for its date and rating.

1951: 1 F21952: 1 F01953: 2 F21954: 1 F21955: 2 F01955: 1 F11956: 1 F01956: 1 F11957: 1 F11958: 4 F01958: 4 F11958: 2 F21959: 1 F11960: 1 F01961: 1 F11962: 1 F01962: 2 F11962: 1 F21964: 1 F01964: 3 F11965: 1 F01965: 4 F11966: 1 F01966: 1 F11966: 3 F21967: 1 F01967: 4 F11969: 1 F01970: 1 F01970: 1 F11971: 2 F01972: 4 F01972: 1 F11973: 1 F31974: 1 F01974: 2 F11975: 3 F01976: 5 F01976: 1 F11977: 3 F11978: 4 F01978: 8 F11978: 1 F21978: 1 F31979: 1 F01979: 3 F11980: 3 F01980: 3 F11980: 2 F21981: 3 F01982: 7 F01982: 4 F11982: 3 F21983: 5 F01983: 3 F11983: 1 F21984: 2 F01985: 2 F01985: 1 F21986: 5 F01986: 2 F11986: 1 F21987: 4 F01988: 4 F01988: 2 F11989: 4 F01990: 5 F01991: 11 F01991: 5 F11992: 8 F01992: 12 F11993: 9 F01993: 4 F11994: 8 F01994: 1 F21995: 6 F01995: 1 F11996: 16 F01996: 6 F11997: 12 F01997: 5 F11998: 18 F01998: 6 F11998: 1 F21999: 3 F02000: 8 F02000: 1 F12001: 5 F02001: 2 F12002: 1 F02002: 2 F12004: 10 F02005: 26 F02005: 4 F12006: 8 F02006: 1 F12007: 6 EF02008: 5 EF02008: 1 EF12008: 1 EF22009: 2 EF02010: 6 EF02010: 3 EF12011: 5 EF02011: 3 EF12011: 1 EF22012: 8 EF02012: 4 EF12013: 5 EF02014: 6 EF02014: 3 EF12015: 7 EF02015: 3 EF12016: 4 EF02017: 3 EF02018: 6 EF02019: 12 EF02019: 1 EF12019: 1 unknown rating2020: 3 EF02020: 3 EF12020: 1 EF22020: 1 unknown rating2021: 4 EF02022: 2 EF02022: 2 unknown rating2023: 5 EF02023: 4 EF12023: 1 unknown rating2024: 1 EF02024: 3 EF12025: 3 EF02025: 1 unknown rating19501957196419711978198519921999200620132020max 30
Tornadoes per year in California by rating, 1950–2025. Colors: F/EF0 (yellow) to F/EF5 (black); gray = unknown rating.

Source: National Storms (nationalstorms.com), CC BY 4.0, data from NOAA Storm Prediction Center storm reports.

Most recent tornadoes in California

DateRatingPath lengthDeaths / injuriesStarted in
Apr 1, 2025EF00.9 mi0 / 0Stanislaus County, CA
Mar 12, 2025EF01.0 mi0 / 0Los Angeles County, CA
Feb 13, 2025EF00.6 mi0 / 0Ventura County, CA
Jan 3, 2025EFU0.8 mi0 / 0Tehama County, CA
Dec 14, 2024EF10.3 mi0 / 5Santa Cruz County, CA
Mar 1, 2024EF00.4 mi0 / 0Madera County, CA
Feb 7, 2024EF10.7 mi0 / 0San Luis Obispo County, CA
Feb 7, 2024EF14.9 mi0 / 0San Luis Obispo County, CA
Dec 19, 2023EF10.4 mi0 / 0Butte County, CA
May 4, 2023EF00.7 mi0 / 0Los Angeles County, CA
May 4, 2023EF00.1 mi0 / 0Los Angeles County, CA
Mar 22, 2023EF10.5 mi0 / 1Los Angeles County, CA
Mar 21, 2023EF00.2 mi0 / 1Santa Barbara County, CA
Mar 11, 2023EF10.8 mi0 / 0Tuolumne County, CA
Feb 27, 2023EFU0.1 mi0 / 0Mendocino County, CA
Feb 23, 2023EF00.1 mi0 / 0Los Angeles County, CA
Jan 14, 2023EF00.3 mi0 / 0Sacramento County, CA
Jan 10, 2023EF10.4 mi0 / 0Calaveras County, CA
Nov 8, 2022EF00.8 mi0 / 0Sacramento County, CA
Oct 8, 2022EF01.6 mi0 / 0Riverside County, CA
Aug 28, 2022EFU0.2 mi0 / 0Riverside County, CA
Apr 21, 2022EFU0.0 mi0 / 0San Joaquin County, CA
Sep 9, 2021EF01.8 mi0 / 0Los Angeles County, CA
Apr 25, 2021EF02.0 mi0 / 0Tehama County, CA
Jan 4, 2021EF02.7 mi0 / 0Tehama County, CA

2026 preliminary tornado reports in California

Reports from SPC's daily logs. A tornado often draws several reports; NOAA publishes confirmed tornadoes, paths and ratings with its final data.

DateRatingPath lengthDeaths / injuriesStarted in
May 3, 2026Prelim. report––Plumas County, CA
Apr 21, 2026Prelim. report––Fresno County, CA
Apr 21, 2026Prelim. report––Tulare County, CA
Apr 21, 2026Prelim. report––Fresno County, CA
Apr 21, 2026Prelim. report––Merced County, CA
Apr 21, 2026Prelim. report––Fresno County, CA
Apr 12, 2026Prelim. report––Tehama County, CA

The 50 strongest California tornadoes, ranked by rating, deaths and path length: Strongest tornadoes in California history

Longest tornado paths in California

DateRatingPath lengthDeaths / injuriesStarted in
May 25, 2011EF126.4 mi0 / 0Glenn County, CA
May 25, 2011EF121.6 mi0 / 0Glenn County, CA
Apr 5, 1980F215.0 mi0 / 1Kings County, CA
Jun 1, 1958F215.0 mi0 / 0Sonoma County, CA
Jan 21, 2010EF014.3 mi0 / 0Riverside County, CA
Sep 1, 2007EF013.1 mi0 / 0Kern County, CA
Sep 5, 2020EF212.0 mi0 / 0Madera County, CA
Mar 16, 1977F110.9 mi0 / 4Orange County, CA
Nov 7, 1966F210.3 mi0 / 10Los Angeles County, CA
Apr 21, 2015EF010.0 mi0 / 0Riverside County, CA

For tornadoes that crossed into another state, the path length, deaths and injuries are for the whole path.

Tornadoes by county

CountyTornadoes since 19502016–2025StrongestDeaths along pathsMost recent
Los Angeles County506F2/EF20Mar 12, 2025
San Bernardino County332F2/EF20Apr 16, 2019
Orange County331F3/EF30Feb 23, 2023
Fresno County325F2/EF20Sep 5, 2020
Riverside County283F3/EF30Oct 8, 2022
San Diego County271F1/EF10Apr 22, 2019
Butte County202F2/EF20Dec 19, 2023
San Joaquin County191F1/EF10Apr 21, 2022
Merced County180F1/EF10Feb 9, 2009
Sacramento County174F2/EF20Jan 14, 2023
Tulare County161F2/EF20Mar 22, 2018
Kern County162F1/EF10Jun 2, 2019
Sonoma County140F2/EF20Mar 18, 2011
Madera County143F2/EF20Mar 1, 2024
Stanislaus County132F2/EF20Apr 1, 2025
Tehama County124F2/EF20Jan 3, 2025
Glenn County110F2/EF20Mar 26, 2014
Ventura County82F0/EF00Feb 13, 2025
Santa Cruz County83F1/EF10Dec 14, 2024
Kings County80F2/EF20Nov 22, 1996
Santa Clara County70F2/EF20Apr 14, 2007
Santa Barbara County71F1/EF10Mar 21, 2023
Placer County71F2/EF20Jan 9, 2017
Imperial County70F1/EF10Aug 30, 2000
Sutter County61F1/EF10Feb 2, 2019
Del Norte County60F1/EF10Jan 20, 1996
Yuba County51F1/EF10Mar 21, 2018
Yolo County51F0/EF00Sep 28, 2019
Solano County50F0/EF00Apr 7, 2011
Monterey County51F1/EF10Apr 22, 2016
El Dorado County51F1/EF10Nov 18, 2020
Contra Costa County50F1/EF10Jan 23, 2010
Colusa County51F0/EF00Feb 2, 2019
San Mateo County40F1/EF10Mar 20, 2005
San Luis Obispo County42F1/EF10Feb 7, 2024
Mendocino County41F1/EF10Feb 27, 2023
Lassen County43F1/EF10Aug 15, 2020
Mariposa County31F0/EF00Feb 2, 2019
Alameda County30F0/EF00Apr 25, 1994
Tuolumne County21F1/EF10Mar 11, 2023
San Benito County21F2/EF20Jan 6, 2016
Marin County20F2/EF20Dec 23, 1996
Inyo County21F0/EF00Mar 3, 2018
Humboldt County21F2/EF20Jan 25, 2018
Calaveras County21F1/EF10Jan 10, 2023
Siskiyou County10F1/EF10May 22, 1958
Nevada County10F1/EF10Oct 22, 2012
Napa County11F0/EF00Apr 27, 2016
Modoc County10F1/EF10May 22, 1958
Plumas County00unknown0–

Cities with 5 or more tornadoes within 10 miles

Adelanto Alhambra Aliso Viejo Anaheim Apple Valley Arcadia Artesia Atwater Azusa Baldwin Park Bell Bell Gardens Bellflower Beverly Hills Brea Buena Park Burbank Camarillo Canyon Lake Capitola Carlsbad Carson Ceres Cerritos Chico Chowchilla Chula Vista Citrus Heights Clovis Colton Commerce Compton Corning Coronado Costa Mesa Cotati Covina Cudahy Culver City Cupertino Cypress Dana Point Del Mar Diamond Bar Dinuba Downey El Monte El Segundo Encinitas Escalon Fountain Valley Fowler Fresno Fullerton Galt Garden Grove Gardena Glendale Glendora Grand Terrace Gridley Hawaiian Gardens Hawthorne Hemet Hermosa Beach Hughson Huntington Beach Huntington Park Inglewood Irvine Kingsburg La Habra La Habra Heights La Mesa La Mirada La Palma La Puente La Verne Laguna Beach Laguna Hills Laguna Niguel Laguna Woods Lake Elsinore Lake Forest Lakewood Lathrop Lawndale Lemon Grove Lemoore Lincoln Livingston Lodi Lomita Long Beach Loomis Los Alamitos Los Angeles Lynwood Madera Manhattan Beach Manteca Marysville Maywood Menifee Merced Milpitas Modesto Monrovia Montebello Monterey Park Moreno Valley National City Newark Newport Beach Norwalk Oceanside Orange Orland Oroville Oxnard Paramount Parlier Perris Pico Rivera Placentia Pomona Port Hueneme Redondo Beach Reedley Ripon Riverbank Riverside Rocklin Rohnert Park Rolling Hills Estates Rosemead Roseville Sacramento San Diego San Dimas San Fernando San Gabriel San Jacinto San Juan Capistrano San Marcos San Marino Sanger Santa Ana Santa Clara Santa Cruz Santa Fe Springs Santa Rosa Santee Saratoga Scotts Valley Seal Beach Sebastopol Selma Signal Hill Solana Beach South El Monte South Gate South Pasadena Stanton Stockton Sunnyvale Temple City Torrance Tulare Turlock Tustin Victorville Villa Park Vista Walnut West Covina West Hollywood West Sacramento Westminster Whittier Willows Windsor Yorba Linda Yuba City

Tornadoes in California by year

YearTornadoesF/EF012345UnknownDeathsInjuries
20267 preliminary tornado reports so far (not a tornado count; ratings come with NOAA's final data)
20254300000100
20244130000005
202310540000102
20224200000200
20214400000000
20208331000100
2019141210000100
20186600000000
20173300000000
20164400000000
201510730000002
20149630000000
20135500000000
201212840000000
20119531000000
20109630000000
20092200000000
20087511000001
20076600000000
20069810000000
2005302640000000
2004101000000000
20023120000000
20017520000000
20009810000000
19993300000000
1998251861000003
1997171250000000
1996221660000001
19957610000000
19949801000002
199313940000003
1992208120000006
1991161150000003
19905500000000
19894400000000
19886420000000
19874400000000
19868521000001
19853201000000
19842200000000
198395310000034
198214743000003
19813300000000
19808332000004
19794130000000
197814481100007
19773030000004
19766510000000
19753300000000
19743120000001
19731000100000
19725410000000
19712200000000
19702110000000
19691100000000
19675140000000
196651130000010
19655140000000
19644130000000
19624121000000
19611010000003
19601100000000
19591010000000
195810442000000
19571010000000
19562110000002
19553210000000
19541001000000
19532002000000
19521100000000
19511001000000

More for California: strongest tornadoes · damaging wind history · hail history · all states

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center (SPC) Severe Weather Database (SVRGIS) tornado file, 1950–2025, and SPC preliminary storm reports for 2026 (data through November 6, 2026). Ratings are the ones the National Weather Service assigned: Fujita (F) scale before Feb 1, 2007, Enhanced Fujita (EF) after. Paths are drawn as straight lines from the start to the end point SPC records; real paths curve. City and county boundaries: US Census Bureau.