Amador County, California
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 06005 · population 40,427 · 595 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 281 records for Amador County, California from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 225 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (95 records). 252 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The deadliest single record is the June 18, 2025 cold/wind chill, filed for the forecast zone West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada, which covers the county: 3 deaths. FEMA has issued 21 declarations naming the county since 1964, 19 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides” on April 3, 2023.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 281on 225 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 3416 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $32Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- FEMA declarations
- 21latest 2023
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Amador County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 95 since 1996. 47% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. The rank column places the county among California's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 95 | 85 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 5 | $1.5M | 12 of 57 |
| High wind and dust storms | 51 | 37 | 1997-2025 | 3 | 3 | $4.5M | 29 of 57 |
| Drought | 33 | 33 | 2015-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 of 57 |
| Floods | 23 | 18 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 0 | $128K | 24 of 57 |
| Extreme cold | 22 | 20 | 2008-2025 | 21 | 2 | – | 9 of 57 |
| Heat | 20 | 16 | 2000-2025 | 3 | 0 | – | 20 of 57 |
| Wildfires | 19 | 17 | 2008-2025 | 1 | 4 | $26M | 14 of 57 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 5 | 1998-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 35 of 57 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 6 | 6 | 1996-2026 | 3 | 2 | $249K | 28 of 57 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 3 | 2 | 2019-2023 | 0 | 0 | $3K | 30 of 57 |
| Hail | 2 | 2 | 2013-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 33 of 57 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 1 | 2015-2015 | 0 | 0 | $125K | 36 of 57 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
When was the last damaging storm in Amador County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the February 15, 2026 winter storm ($100,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-21 | Heavy SnowEl Dorado County and 2 more · forecast zone Sierra Nevada Of El Dorado-Amador-Northern Alpine Counties Above 5000 Ft Including Highway 50 | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-10 | Heavy SnowAlpine County and 8 more · forecast zone West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-15 | Winter StormAmador County and 6 more · forecast zone Motherlode/Camptonville To Groveland | 0 | 0 | $100K | |
| 2026-02-15 | Winter StormAlpine County and 8 more · forecast zone West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada | 0 | 5 | – | |
| 2026-01-20 | Dense FogAmador County and 6 more · forecast zone Southern Sacramento Valley | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2026-01-04 | FloodBuena Vista, Amador County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-02 | Heavy SnowAlpine County and 8 more · forecast zone West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-24 | FloodBuena Vista, Amador County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-24 | High WindAmador County and 6 more · forecast zone Motherlode/Camptonville To Groveland | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2025-12-24 | High WindAmador County and 4 more · forecast zone Northern San Joaquin Valley | 48 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2025-12-24 | High WindAmador County and 6 more · forecast zone Southern Sacramento Valley | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2025-12-24 | Heavy SnowAlpine County and 8 more · forecast zone West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-06-18 | Cold/Wind ChillAlpine County and 8 more · forecast zone West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada Placer County Sheriff reported the missing hikers entered the water on June 18th and did not surface. Their bodies were recovered on June 22nd. Air temperatures at the time were in the mid 70s to 80s at the time of the report with water temperatures in the 40s to 50s. | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2020-05-28 | Cold/Wind ChillAmador County and 6 more · forecast zone Motherlode/Camptonville To Groveland Three men went missing after being swept into the Cosumnes River in El Dorado County on Thursday. The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office said at around 4pm a caller reported seeing the men get swept into the river and disappear. Sheriff’s deputies, a dive team, a helicopter, and multiple fire and rescue crews all ... | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-07-02 | Excessive HeatAmador County and 6 more · forecast zone Southern Sacramento Valley Dangerously hot daytime high temperatures of 100 to 115 degrees were observed from July 2nd through July 13th. Little relief from the heat was observed overnight, with low temperatures around the 60s to mid 70s over the same timeframe. Multiple daily high temperature records were tied or broken at Downtown Sacramento ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-06-25 | Cold/Wind ChillAmador County and 6 more · forecast zone Motherlode/Camptonville To Groveland Crews responded to the report of a possible drowning at Lake Clementine Trail before 5:30 p.m on June 25th, 2024. A communications manager for California State Parks said three people had attempted to swim across the river and were swept downstream by the current. A 33-year-old man was found dead in the water, the El ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-02-04 | High WindAmador County and 6 more · forecast zone Southern Sacramento Valley Mather Field Airport reported a wind gust of 68 mph. Sacramento International Airport reported a wind gust of 64 mph. McClellan Airfield reported sustained winds of 43 mph with gusts to 59 mph, and a max gust of 66 mph. Vacaville Nut Tree Airport reported a gust of 59 mph. Numerous reports of downed power lines and ... | 59 kt wind | 2 | 0 | $376K |
| 2014-12-24 | Dense FogAmador County and 6 more · forecast zone Motherlode/Camptonville To Groveland A single engine plane (Cessna 172) crashed on a remote hillside between Gopher Flat Road and Amador Road, just north of Sutter Creek, in Amador County, CA. There were 2 adult male fatalities. The plane was flying from Gilroy, CA to Sutter Creek, CA. Foggy conditions were present at Auburn Airport to the north, between ... | 2 | 0 | $249K | |
| 1998-02-03 | FloodAmador County and 6 more · forecast zone X W Sierra/Ne Yuba/W Nevada/W Placer T X W/W El Dorado/W Amador T X W/C Calaveras/Sw Tuolumne T X Sw Flooding across portions of the Motherlode closed roads. Especially hard hit on the 2nd and 3rd, Amador County was declared a disaster area by the 3rd with 3 homes flooded. One fatality occurred in Amador County when a man attempted to cross the raging Calaveritas Creek with his car, abandoned his car when the motor ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-20 | Dense FogAmador County and 6 more · forecast zone Southern Sacramento Valley A traffic collision occurred at 7:26 pm on January 20th 2026 in the south bound lanes of Highway 70 by Striplin Road in Sutter County, California. Dense fog was present in Sutter County California on Highway 70, with visibilities of a quarter mile or less. Two cars where involved in the crash, with a woman and an ... | 1 | 2 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-09-02 | WildfireAmador County and 6 more · forecast zone Motherlode/Camptonville To Groveland | 0 | 1 | $25M | |
| 2008-01-04 | High WindAmador County and 6 more · forecast zone Motherlode/Camptonville To Groveland | 80 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.6M |
| 2019-02-04 | Heavy SnowAmador County and 6 more · forecast zone Motherlode/Camptonville To Groveland | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | |
| 2014-12-30 | Strong WindAmador County and 6 more · forecast zone Motherlode/Camptonville To Groveland | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $748K |
| 2024-06-17 | WildfireAmador County and 6 more · forecast zone Motherlode/Camptonville To Groveland | 0 | 0 | $659K | |
| 2019-02-27 | Strong WindAmador County and 6 more · forecast zone Motherlode/Camptonville To Groveland | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $577K |
| 2024-02-04 | High WindAmador County and 6 more · forecast zone Southern Sacramento Valley | 59 kt wind | 2 | 0 | $376K |
| 2014-12-24 | Dense FogAmador County and 6 more · forecast zone Motherlode/Camptonville To Groveland | 2 | 0 | $249K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Amador County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 12 | 8 | 16 | 59 z |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 4 | 16 | 28 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 17 | 16 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 7 | 5 | 2 | 9 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 0 | 2 | 3 | 17 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 1 | 18 |
Winter storms in the 2020-26: 59 records against 16 in the decade before, 59 of them forecast-zone records. Cells marked z rose mostly through zone records. The local National Weather Service office files these once per forecast zone, so a change in how it draws its zones or splits a storm into records moves this count as much as the weather does; read it beside the Amador County days with a record above.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
47% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 48 · Feb 52 · Mar 28 · Apr 18 · May 18 · Jun 17 · Jul 18 · Aug 12 · Sep 11 · Oct 11 · Nov 15 · Dec 33 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Amador County
FEMA's register lists 21 declarations that include Amador County: 15 major disasters, 5 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for severe storm (9) and flood (6).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-04-03 | DR-4699 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2023-03-10 | EM-3592 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2023-01-14 | DR-4683 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2021-09-01 | EM-3571 | Fire | Caldor Fire |
| 2020-03-22 | DR-4482 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3428 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-05-17 | DR-4434 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2017-04-01 | DR-4308 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 2017-02-14 | DR-4301 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 2015-09-10 | FM-5111 | Fire | Butte Fire |
| 2006-06-05 | DR-1646 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2006-02-03 | DR-1628 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3248 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 1998-02-09 | DR-1203 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding |
| 1997-01-04 | DR-1155 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mud and Landslides |
| 1995-03-12 | DR-1046 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding Landslides, Mud Flow |
| 1995-01-10 | DR-1044 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, Mud Flows |
| 1986-02-21 | DR-758 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1977-01-20 | EM-3023 | Drought | Drought |
| 1969-01-26 | DR-253 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1964-12-24 | DR-183 | Flood | Heavy Rains & Flooding |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Amador County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 23 flood or flash flood records for Amador County from 1996 to 2026, on 18 days, with 2 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Amador County ranks 1428th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.5 million on 78 claims filed in Amador County; the most in one year was 22 in 1997. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1980: 2 · 1982: 5 · 1983: 1 · 1984: 1 · 1986: 3 · 1995: 5 · 1996: 9 · 1997: 22 · 1998: 5 · 2000: 1 · 2005: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2017: 10 · 2019: 2 · 2022: 9; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Amador County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Amador County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $38.8 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively High | $7.9M | 60 modeled event-days a year |
| Wildfire | Relatively High | $14M | once in about 94 years (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Relatively High | $1.8M | once in about 15 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $299K | 17 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $104K | 7.5 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $1.3M | 5.9 modeled event-days a year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $12M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $564K | once in about 92 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Amador County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Winter storms in CaliforniaThe state's winter storm records, by county, year and month
- The California recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Amador CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Amador County's FEMA declarations (CSV)21 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis