Colusa County, California
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 06011 · population 21,811 · 1,151 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 388 records for Colusa County, California from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 259 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (96 records). 353 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 14, 2020 dense fog, filed for the forecast zone Central Sacramento Valley, which covers the county: 5 deaths. FEMA has issued 19 declarations naming the county since 1964, 17 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides” on January 14, 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
- 388on 259 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 2669 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $167Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 4strongest EF0
- FEMA declarations
- 19latest 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 Colusa County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 96 since 1996. 48% 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 | 96 | 83 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $115K | 17 of 57 |
| Drought | 84 | 43 | 2015-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 13 of 57 |
| High wind and dust storms | 56 | 42 | 1996-2025 | 2 | 1 | $52M | 36 of 57 |
| Heat | 49 | 29 | 1999-2024 | 3 | 2 | – | 22 of 57 |
| Wildfires | 36 | 32 | 1999-2024 | 10 | 62 | $73M | 16 of 57 |
| Floods | 32 | 23 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 3 | $38M | 36 of 57 |
| Extreme cold | 14 | 11 | 1998-2024 | 3 | 0 | $4.3M | 25 of 57 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 6 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 44 of 57 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 6 | 6 | 2001-2022 | 7 | 1 | – | 35 of 57 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 4 | 2011-2019 | 0 | 0 | $92K | 26 of 57 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 2 | 2 | 1996-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 19 of 57 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 2 | 1988-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 43 of 57 |
| Hail | 1 | 1 | 2019-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 55 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 Colusa County had?
NOAA records 4 tornadoes in Colusa County from 2011 to 2019, the strongest rated EF0, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 26th 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 4 tornadoes whose track touched Colusa County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 4, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in California.
Every tornado record filed for Colusa County (4)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-02-02 | Stegeman, Colusa County | EF0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-02-19 | Maxwell, Colusa County | EF0 0.26 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-03-23 | Williams, Colusa County | EF0 1.09 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $92K |
| 2011-03-21 | Maxwell, Colusa County | EF0 0.25 mi x 10 yd | 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 Colusa County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the December 26, 2025 flood (1 death and 3 injuries).
Around 3 PM PST on December 26th, a vehicle hydroplaned and crashed on Interstate 5 in Williams, CA in heavy rain. Initially there were 2 minor injuries and 2 critical injuries, but later one of the critical injuries was updated to a fatality.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1307988)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-15 | Winter StormColusa County and 3 more · forecast zone Mountains Southwestern Shasta County To Western Colusa County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-26 | FloodWilliams, Colusa County | 1 | 3 | – | |
| 2025-12-24 | FloodDelphos, Colusa County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-24 | High WindButte County and 5 more · forecast zone Central Sacramento Valley | 68 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2025-12-24 | Heavy SnowColusa County and 3 more · forecast zone Mountains Southwestern Shasta County To Western Colusa County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-13 | FloodSites, Colusa County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-09-09 | Heavy RainStonyford, Colusa County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-04-01 | Heavy SnowColusa County and 3 more · forecast zone Mountains Southwestern Shasta County To Western Colusa County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-14 | Heavy SnowColusa County and 3 more · forecast zone Mountains Southwestern Shasta County To Western Colusa County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-11 | Heavy SnowColusa County and 3 more · forecast zone Mountains Southwestern Shasta County To Western Colusa County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-07 | FloodColusa County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-06 | FloodHershey, Colusa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | – | |
| 2015-09-12 | WildfireColusa County and Lake County · forecast zone Clear Lake/Southern Lake County There were 76,067 acres burned in the Valley Fire. The Valley Fire was the 3rd most damaging fire in California history. At least 1958 structures were destroyed including; 1280 homes, 27 multi-family structures, 66 commercial properties, and 585 other minor structures such as outbuildings and sheds. There are 93 ... | 4 | 4 | – | |
| 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 | – | |
| 2014-07-11 | WildfireColusa County and 4 more · forecast zone Mountains Southwest Shasta County To Northern Lake County The Bully Fire in Shasta County began on the afternoon of July 11th as weather conditions were becoming drier and warmer. The fire started near Plantina Road at Bland Road west of Igo and Ono communities, caused by a vehicle driving over dry vegetation. By the time it was contained, the fire grew 12,661 acres, ... | 1 | 21 | – | |
| 2018-07-27 | WildfireColusa County and 4 more · forecast zone Mountains Southwest Shasta County To Northern Lake County The Mendocino Complex Fire (made up of the River and Ranch Fires) spread across Colusa County, Glenn County, Lake County, and Mendocino County, becoming the largest wildfire in California history at 459,123 acres. The Mendocino Complex Fire was not contained until September 18. There were 157 residential buildings ... | 1 | 16 | $66M | |
| 2025-12-26 | FloodWilliams, Colusa County Around 3 PM PST on December 26th, a vehicle hydroplaned and crashed on Interstate 5 in Williams, CA in heavy rain. Initially there were 2 minor injuries and 2 critical injuries, but later one of the critical injuries was updated to a fatality. | 1 | 3 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-07-27 | WildfireColusa County and 4 more · forecast zone Mountains Southwest Shasta County To Northern Lake County | 1 | 16 | $66M | |
| 2008-01-04 | High WindButte County and 4 more · forecast zone Central Sacramento Valley | 60 kt wind | 1 | 1 | $51M |
| 1998-02-02 | FloodColusa County and Lake County · forecast zone Lake T N & X Sw/W Yolo/X Sw Colusa/E Napa/X Nw Solano | 0 | 0 | $27M | |
| 2017-02-17 | FloodMaxwell, Colusa County | 0 | 0 | $8.4M | |
| 2024-07-02 | WildfireButte County and 5 more · forecast zone Central Sacramento Valley | 0 | 0 | $4.9M | |
| 1998-12-19 | Cold/Wind ChillButte County and 4 more · forecast zone Central Sacramento Valley | 0 | 0 | $4.3M | |
| 2016-08-13 | WildfireColusa County and Lake County · forecast zone Clear Lake/Southern Lake County | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | |
| 2006-01-01 | FloodCountywide, Colusa County | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
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 Colusa 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 | – | – | – | – | 22 | 27 | 27 | 20 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 26 | 58 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 13 | 21 | 11 | 11 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 1 | 5 | 11 | 32 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 1 | 8 | 15 | 12 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 11 | 4 | 6 | 11 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
48% 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 65 · Feb 54 · Mar 35 · Apr 20 · May 12 · Jun 35 · Jul 39 · Aug 20 · Sep 21 · Oct 24 · Nov 30 · Dec 33 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Colusa County
FEMA's register lists 19 declarations that include Colusa County: 15 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (7) and flood (6).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-01-14 | DR-4683 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2023-01-09 | EM-3591 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 Colusa County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 32 flood or flash flood records for Colusa County from 1996 to 2025, on 23 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Colusa County ranks 1054th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $3.0 million on 160 claims filed in Colusa County; the most in one year was 61 in 1998. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1983: 11 · 1986: 13 · 1993: 1 · 1995: 41 · 1996: 1 · 1997: 3 · 1998: 61 · 2007: 1 · 2012: 3 · 2016: 1 · 2017: 20 · 2019: 3 · 2024: 1; 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 Colusa County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Colusa County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $40.6 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 | $29M | 84 modeled event-days a year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | $5.4M | once in about 19 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | $1.1M | once in about 195 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $6K | 17 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $679K | 7.6 modeled event-days a year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $4.1M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | $5 | once in about 10,000 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Very Low | $50K | 6.1 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 Colusa 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 Colusa CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Colusa County's FEMA declarations (CSV)19 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis