Calaveras County, California
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 06009 · population 45,237 · 1,020 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 981 records for Calaveras County, California from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 585 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (532 records). 934 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 January 13, 2015 dense fog, filed for the forecast zone Northern San Joaquin Valley, which covers the county: 5 deaths, 3 injuries and $50,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 24 declarations naming the county since 1977, 22 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Gann Fire” on August 4, 2026.
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
- 981on 585 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 61120 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $2.0Bas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 2strongest EF1
- FEMA declarations
- 24latest 2026
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 Calaveras County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 532 since 1996. 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 | 532 | 333 | 1996-2026 | 12 | 14 | $1.7M | 6 of 57 |
| Drought | 111 | 51 | 2014-2023 | 0 | 0 | $1.9B | 5 of 57 |
| High wind and dust storms | 94 | 59 | 1996-2025 | 3 | 11 | $15M | 31 of 57 |
| Heat | 74 | 53 | 1999-2025 | 5 | 2 | – | 6 of 57 |
| Wildfires | 47 | 41 | 1996-2025 | 3 | 63 | $26M | 8 of 57 |
| Floods | 43 | 24 | 1996-2026 | 3 | 0 | $9.3M | 29 of 57 |
| Extreme cold | 42 | 39 | 1998-2025 | 22 | 2 | $29M | 6 of 57 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 12 | 12 | 1996-2018 | 11 | 25 | $1.5M | 25 of 57 |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 7 | 1998-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 41 of 57 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 6 | 6 | 1999-2019 | 2 | 3 | $19K | 20 of 57 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 5 | 1 | 2023-2023 | 0 | 0 | $13K | 51 of 57 |
| Hail | 3 | 3 | 2005-2020 | 0 | 0 | $15 | 41 of 57 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 2 | 1 | 2021-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 31 of 57 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 2 | 1980-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 34 of 57 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 1999-1999 | 0 | 0 | – | 27 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 Calaveras County had?
NOAA records 2 tornadoes in Calaveras County from 1980 to 2023, the strongest rated EF1, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. 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 2 tornadoes whose track touched Calaveras County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 2, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in California.
Every tornado record filed for Calaveras County (2)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-01-10 | Felix, Calaveras County | EF1 0.39 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-07-29 | Calaveras County | 0 | 0 | – |
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 Calaveras 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 SnowCalaveras County and 2 more · forecast zone Sierra Nevada Of Calaveras-Tuolumne-Southern Alpine Counties Above 5000 Ft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-21 | FloodSan Andreas, Calaveras County | 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 | – | |
| 2026-01-04 | FloodCamanche, Calaveras County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-02 | Heavy SnowAlpine County and 8 more · forecast zone West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada | 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 | Heavy SnowAlpine County and 8 more · forecast zone West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-24 | FloodCopperopolis, Calaveras County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-24 | FloodGlencoe, Calaveras 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-01-13 | Dense FogCalaveras County and 2 more · forecast zone Northern San Joaquin Valley A 2 vehicle car crash occurred on Highway 4 off Van Allen Rd., east of the city of Stockton, resulting in 5 fatalities and 3 injuries. The accident occurred at approximately 6:30 am PST and is thought to be related to poor visibility from fog. First responders reported visibility less than 100 feet when they arrived ... | 5 | 3 | $50K | |
| 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 | – | |
| 2013-10-27 | Strong WindCalaveras County and 2 more · forecast zone Northern San Joaquin Valley Onshore winds increased in the afternoon Oct. 27th ahead of the strong trough. Winds in Tracy measured 44mph, Stockton measured 44mph, and Campo Seco measured 49mph. Blowing dust greatly restricted visibility and brought traffic to a slow crawl on highly traveled roads (I-5 and I-580) in the late afternoon and evening ... | 43 kt wind | 2 | 2 | – |
| 2008-07-09 | HeatCalaveras County and 2 more · forecast zone Northern San Joaquin Valley A daily maximum temperature record of 109 degrees was set at the Modesto Airport. This broke the previous record of 106 degrees set in 2006. A daily high minimum temperature record of 77 degrees was set at the Modesto Airport. This broke the previous record of 70 degrees set in 1997. A daily maximum temperature record ... | 2 | 2 | – | |
| 1998-12-11 | Dense FogCalaveras County and 2 more · forecast zone San Joaquin T Nw/Stanislaus/X Sw Tuolumne/Sw Calaveras Dense fog resulted in a multi-fatal accident 15 miles northeast of Stockton on Highway 88 at about 0410 PST. | 2 | 2 | $72K | |
| 2015-09-09 | WildfireAlpine County and 6 more · forecast zone West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada There were 70,868 acres were burned in the Butte Fire, the 7th most destructive fire in California history. There were 475 residences and 343 outbuildings destroyed, and 45 structures damaged. In the fire there were 2 civilian fatalities and 1 injury. The cause has tentatively been attributed to a PG&E power line ... | 2 | 1 | – | |
| 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 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-12-01 | DroughtCalaveras County and 2 more · forecast zone Northern San Joaquin Valley | 0 | 0 | $1.9B | |
| 2007-01-14 | Frost/FreezeCalaveras County and 2 more · forecast zone Northern San Joaquin Valley | 0 | 0 | $29M | |
| 2025-09-02 | WildfireAmador County and 6 more · forecast zone Motherlode/Camptonville To Groveland | 0 | 1 | $25M | |
| 2017-02-09 | FloodWest Pt, Calaveras County | 0 | 0 | $8.4M | |
| 2008-01-04 | High WindCalaveras County and 2 more · forecast zone Northern San Joaquin Valley | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $6.0M |
| 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 | High WindAlpine County and 6 more · forecast zone West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $997K |
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 Calaveras 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 | – | – | – | – | 44 | 67 | 223 z | 198 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 52 | 59 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 15 | 12 | 28 | 39 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 1 | 32 | 6 | 35 z |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 2 | 8 | 15 | 22 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 10 | 9 | 6 | 18 |
Winter storms in the 2010s: 223 records against 67 in the decade before, 223 of them forecast-zone records. Heat in the 2020-26: 35 records against 6 in the decade before, 35 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 Calaveras 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?
Records by month in Calaveras County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 168 · Feb 142 · Mar 119 · Apr 78 · May 46 · Jun 38 · Jul 44 · Aug 29 · Sep 43 · Oct 44 · Nov 86 · Dec 144 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Calaveras County
FEMA's register lists 24 declarations that include Calaveras County: 15 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 5 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (8) and fire (7).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-04 | FM-5662 | Fire | Gann Fire |
| 2025-09-03 | FM-5612 | Fire | 2-7 Fire |
| 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 |
| 2020-03-22 | DR-4482 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3428 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-05-01 | DR-4431 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2017-04-01 | DR-4308 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 2017-03-16 | DR-4305 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 2017-02-14 | DR-4301 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 2015-09-22 | DR-4240 | Fire | Valley Fire and Butte Fire |
| 2015-09-10 | FM-5111 | Fire | Butte Fire |
| 2010-03-08 | DR-1884 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Debris and Mud Flows |
| 2006-06-05 | DR-1646 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3248 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-09-03 | FM-2553 | Fire | Ca-Pattison Fire-09-03-2004 |
| 2004-08-07 | FM-2540 | Fire | Ca-Calaveras Complex-08-07-2004 |
| 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 |
| 1992-08-29 | DR-958 | Fire | Old Gulch & Fountain Fires |
| 1986-02-21 | DR-758 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1977-01-20 | EM-3023 | Drought | Drought |
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 Calaveras County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 43 flood or flash flood records for Calaveras County from 1996 to 2026, on 24 days, with 3 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Calaveras County ranks 1456th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.3 million on 74 claims filed in Calaveras County; the most in one year was 15 in 2006. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1982: 1 · 1986: 3 · 1995: 4 · 1996: 1 · 1997: 2 · 1998: 6 · 1999: 3 · 2006: 15 · 2012: 1 · 2015: 4 · 2016: 4 · 2017: 4 · 2018: 2 · 2019: 3 · 2022: 8 · 2023: 11 · 2024: 2; 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 Calaveras County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Calaveras County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $53.4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively High | $30M | once in about 84 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively High | $4.4M | 73 modeled event-days a year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $394K | 16 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $200K | 15 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.7M | 6.1 modeled event-days a year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $15M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $1.1M | once in about 92 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $251K | 14 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Calaveras 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 Calaveras CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Calaveras County's FEMA declarations (CSV)24 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis