Butte County, California
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 06007 · population 211,490 · 1,637 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 746 records for Butte County, California from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 478 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (290 records). 565 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 November 8, 2018 wildfire, filed for the forecast zone Northeast Foothills/Sacramento Valley, which covers the county: 86 deaths, 12 injuries and $20 billion in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 39 declarations naming the county since 1964, 36 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Park Fire” on July 25, 2024.
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
- 746on 478 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 132125 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $20.7Bas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 18strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 39latest 2024
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 Butte County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 290 since 1996. 41% 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 | 290 | 236 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $276K | 11 of 57 |
| Floods | 110 | 56 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $666M | 17 of 57 |
| Drought | 78 | 40 | 2015-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 23 of 57 |
| High wind and dust storms | 67 | 47 | 1996-2025 | 5 | 4 | $58M | 41 of 57 |
| Heat | 54 | 30 | 1999-2026 | 3 | 2 | – | 27 of 57 |
| Wildfires | 41 | 32 | 1999-2024 | 108 | 111 | $20.0B | 19 of 57 |
| Heavy rain | 26 | 24 | 1998-2023 | 0 | 0 | $7K | 20 of 57 |
| Extreme cold | 19 | 15 | 1998-2024 | 7 | 0 | $4.3M | 27 of 57 |
| Tornadoes | 18 | 18 | 1970-2023 | 0 | 6 | $17M | 5 of 57 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 12 | 12 | 1978-2023 | 0 | 0 | $5.9M | 16 of 57 |
| Hail | 11 | 7 | 1986-2023 | 0 | 0 | $1K | 30 of 57 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 7 | 7 | 2001-2022 | 7 | 2 | – | 36 of 57 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 5 | 5 | 2017-2019 | 0 | 0 | $5.4M | 29 of 57 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 4 | 4 | 1996-2021 | 1 | 0 | – | 18 of 57 |
| Lightning | 4 | 4 | 2007-2019 | 0 | 0 | $183K | 16 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.
How many tornadoes has Butte County had?
NOAA records 18 tornadoes in Butte County from 1970 to 2023, the strongest rated EF2, with 0 deaths and 6 injuries recorded in the county. That is 5th of 57 California counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 18 tornadoes whose track touched Butte County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 18, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in California.
Every tornado record filed for Butte County (18)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-12-19 | Chico Municipal Airport, Butte County | EF1 0.36 mi x 90 yd | 0 | 0 | $16K |
| 2020-11-18 | Bloomer, Butte County | EF0 0.47 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-03-29 | Anita, Butte County | EF0 0.01 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-03-25 | Paradise Skypark Arp, Butte County | EF0 0.26 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-05-25 | Thermalito, Butte County | EF2 0.21 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $157K |
| 2005-04-08 | Durham, Butte County | F0 0.1 mi x 0 yd | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2005-01-08 | Oroville, Butte County | F1 0.1 mi x 0 yd | 0 | 0 | $30K |
| 1998-05-16 | Richvale, Butte County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-04-25 | Honcut, Butte County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-03-10 | Oroville, Butte County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $995K |
| 1994-02-10 | Oroville, Butte County | F2 0.3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 2 | $10.0M |
| 1993-04-17 | Chico, Butte County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 1993-01-07 | Biggs, Butte County | F1 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $102K |
| 1992-12-17 | Butte County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 4 | $2.5M step |
| 1981-01-22 | Butte County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1978-03-23 | Butte County | 0 | 0 | $25K step | |
| 1978-03-04 | Butte County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1970-06-28 | Butte County | F1 2.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Butte 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-14 | Excessive HeatButte County · forecast zone Butte County Below 1000 Ft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-14 | Excessive HeatTehama County and 2 more · forecast zone Sierra Nevada Of Tehama-Butte-Plumas Counties Between 1000-3000 Ft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-21 | Heavy SnowTehama County and 2 more · forecast zone Sierra Nevada Of Tehama-Butte-Plumas Counties Above 3000 Ft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-10 | Heavy SnowButte County and 4 more · forecast zone Mt Shasta/Western Plumas County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-16 | FloodMullberry, Butte County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-15 | Winter StormButte County and 2 more · forecast zone Northeast Foothills/Sacramento Valley | 0 | 0 | $100K | |
| 2026-02-15 | Winter StormButte County and 4 more · forecast zone Mt Shasta/Western Plumas County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-05 | FloodChico Municipal Airport, Butte County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-03 | FloodMagalia, Butte County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-03 | FloodDayton, Butte County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-02 | Heavy SnowButte County and 4 more · forecast zone Mt Shasta/Western Plumas County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-25 | FloodDurham, Butte County | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-11-08 | WildfireButte County and 2 more · forecast zone Northeast Foothills/Sacramento Valley The Camp Fire began on the morning of November 8, 2018, by Camp Creek Road, near Pulga in Butte County. The fire was not fully contained until November 25. This fire was the most destructive wildfire in California history, destroying much of the city of Paradise, the community of Concow, and damaging the towns of ... | 86 | 12 | $20.0B | |
| 2020-09-07 | WildfireButte County and 2 more · forecast zone Northeast Foothills/Sacramento Valley Immediate evacuation orders where given to Berry Creek, Brush Creek, Forbestown, Clipper Mills, and Feather Falls areas the evening of September 8. Later that night gusty north and east winds continued to push the fires from the North Complex down the terrain, which would eventually make a run into Butte County and ... | 16 | 0 | – | |
| 2020-11-14 | Dense FogButte County and 4 more · forecast zone Central Sacramento Valley The California Highway Patrol (CHP) reported a 10 vehicle pile up in Butte County, along highway 99 between Gridley and Biggs Saturday morning. The report noted 5 big rigs and 5 passenger vehicles were involved, which forced the highway to be closed for several hours. 5 fatalities were reported with this event, with 2 ... | 5 | 0 | – | |
| 2017-10-08 | WildfireButte County and 4 more · forecast zone Central Sacramento Valley The Wind Fire Complex included the Cascade, LaPorte, Lobo, and McCourtney fires. Total acreage of the Wind Complex was 17,037 acres. There was 1 injury and 4 fatalities. There were 398 structures destroyed, 203 residences, 194 outbuildings & 1 commercial structure. There were 16 structures destroyed, 6 residences & 10 ... | 4 | 1 | – | |
| 2017-06-17 | Excessive HeatButte County and 4 more · forecast zone Central Sacramento Valley Glenn County had 4 heat related hospital visits, with two fatalities where heat was a contributing factor, along with hypo-tonic dehydration. One of the fatalities was located in a mobile home without air conditioning, found on 06/17/2017 at 1926 PDT. The temperature of the house was over 100 inside. The other ... | 2 | 2 | – | |
| 2020-06-30 | Cold/Wind ChillButte County and 4 more · forecast zone Central Sacramento Valley Two men were swimming in the Feather River near Yuba City, CA in Sutter County and were pulled under the water by currents near a beach north of the 10th Street bridge. One man was pulled from the water but was pronounced dead on the way to the hospital. The other man's body was found in the river on Friday July 3, ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2008-07-01 | WildfireButte County and 2 more · forecast zone Northeast Foothills/Sacramento Valley The Butte (BTU) Lightning Complex consisted of 41 fires initiated by lightning on June 21st and spread over 59,440 acres. One civilian death was reported in Concow on July 11th. There were 65 injuries this month (mainly firefighters) in addition to the six injured in June. There were 106 residences and 11 outbuildings ... | 1 | 65 | – | |
| 2021-07-13 | WildfireButte County and 3 more · forecast zone Mt Shasta/Western Plumas County The Dixie Fire began in Butte County in the Feather River Canyon, CA the evening of July 14, 2021 and quickly spread into Plumas County, CA. The first few days the fire saw significant growth. The fire grew from nearly 19,000 acres the evening of July 18th to 30,000 acres by the early morning of July 19th. The fire ... | 1 | 3 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-11-08 | WildfireButte County and 2 more · forecast zone Northeast Foothills/Sacramento Valley | 86 | 12 | $20.0B | |
| 2017-02-12 | FloodHoncut, Butte County | 0 | 0 | $661M | |
| 2008-01-04 | High WindButte County and 4 more · forecast zone Central Sacramento Valley | 60 kt wind | 1 | 1 | $51M |
| 1994-02-10 | TornadoOroville, Butte County | F2 0.3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 2 | $10.0M |
| 2017-01-09 | Debris FlowPulga, Butte County | 0 | 0 | $5.1M | |
| 2024-07-02 | WildfireButte County and 5 more · forecast zone Central Sacramento Valley | 0 | 0 | $4.9M | |
| 2019-09-18 | Thunderstorm WindOroville, Butte County | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4.6M |
| 2008-01-04 | High WindButte County and 2 more · forecast zone Northeast Foothills/Sacramento Valley | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4.4M |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: December 17, 1992 (tornado, Butte County).
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 Butte 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 | – | – | – | – | 40 | 62 | 84 | 104 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 12 | 4 | 46 | 48 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 12 | 66 z |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 11 | 16 | 12 | 28 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 1 | 4 | 9 | 40 z |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 3 | 11 | 7 | 20 |
Drought in the 2020-26: 66 records against 12 in the decade before, 66 of them forecast-zone records. Heat in the 2020-26: 40 records against 9 in the decade before, 40 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 Butte 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?
41% 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 131 · Feb 129 · Mar 72 · Apr 53 · May 27 · Jun 39 · Jul 41 · Aug 21 · Sep 36 · Oct 32 · Nov 73 · Dec 92 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Butte County
FEMA's register lists 39 declarations that include Butte County: 20 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 11 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (17) and severe storm (9).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-25 | FM-5519 | Fire | Park Fire |
| 2024-07-02 | FM-5502 | Fire | Thompson Fire |
| 2024-04-13 | DR-4769 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 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 |
| 2020-09-09 | FM-5363 | Fire | Bear Fire |
| 2020-08-22 | DR-4558 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 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 |
| 2018-11-12 | DR-4407 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2018-11-09 | EM-3409 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2018-11-08 | FM-5278 | Fire | Camp Fire |
| 2017-10-10 | DR-4344 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2017-10-09 | FM-5216 | Fire | Cascade Fire |
| 2017-10-09 | FM-5218 | Fire | La Porte Fire |
| 2017-07-09 | FM-5189 | Fire | Wall Fire |
| 2017-04-01 | DR-4308 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 2017-02-14 | EM-3381 | Dam/Levee Break | Potential Failure of the Emergency Spillway at Oroville Lake |
| 2017-02-14 | DR-4301 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 2008-07-08 | FM-2782 | Fire | Camp Fire |
| 2008-06-28 | EM-3287 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2008-06-11 | FM-2771 | Fire | Humboldt Fire |
| 2008-06-10 | FM-2770 | Fire | Ophir Fire |
| 2006-02-03 | DR-1628 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3248 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-08-11 | FM-2545 | Fire | Ca Oregon Fire 08-11-2004 |
| 1999-09-01 | EM-3140 | Fire | Ca-Wildfires-08/25/1999 |
| 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 |
| 1991-02-11 | DR-894 | Freezing | Severe Freeze |
| 1986-02-21 | DR-758 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1983-02-09 | DR-677 | Coastal Storm | Coastal Storms, Floods, Slides & Tornadoes |
| 1977-01-20 | EM-3023 | Drought | Drought |
| 1970-02-16 | DR-283 | 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 Butte County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 110 flood or flash flood records for Butte County from 1996 to 2026, on 56 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Butte County ranks 691st of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $7.2 million on 335 claims filed in Butte County; the most in one year was 59 in 1998. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1983: 2 · 1986: 12 · 1989: 1 · 1992: 1 · 1993: 2 · 1995: 47 · 1996: 30 · 1997: 53 · 1998: 59 · 2000: 3 · 2001: 1 · 2002: 1 · 2003: 2 · 2004: 3 · 2005: 9 · 2006: 4 · 2008: 1 · 2010: 2 · 2012: 13 · 2014: 18 · 2016: 9 · 2017: 3 · 2018: 9 · 2019: 32 · 2024: 7 · 2025: 11; 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 Butte County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Butte County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $127 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 | Very High | $26M | 67 modeled event-days a year |
| Wildfire | Relatively High | $16M | once in about 200 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $388K | 21 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | $34M | once in about 25 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $48M | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.4M | 6.9 modeled event-days a year |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $400K | 12 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $121K | once in about 9 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Butte County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in CaliforniaEvery California tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- 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 Butte CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Butte County's FEMA declarations (CSV)39 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis