Glenn County, California
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 06021 · population 28,889 · 1,314 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 347 records for Glenn County, California from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 247 days; the most frequent are drought records (75 records). 297 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 21 declarations naming the county since 1964, 19 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides” on April 13, 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
- 347on 247 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 2250 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $135Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 11strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 21latest 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 Glenn County most?
The most frequent records are drought records: 75 since 2015. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | 75 | 43 | 2015-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 17 of 57 |
| Winter storms | 75 | 74 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 23 of 57 |
| Heat | 47 | 29 | 1999-2024 | 3 | 2 | – | 23 of 57 |
| High wind and dust storms | 45 | 37 | 1996-2025 | 2 | 1 | $52M | 42 of 57 |
| Floods | 31 | 25 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $5.8M | 38 of 57 |
| Wildfires | 27 | 24 | 2008-2024 | 6 | 46 | $71M | 22 of 57 |
| Extreme cold | 13 | 11 | 1998-2024 | 3 | 0 | $4.3M | 30 of 57 |
| Tornadoes | 11 | 8 | 1953-2014 | 0 | 0 | $2.3M | 13 of 57 |
| Hail | 8 | 4 | 2005-2023 | 0 | 0 | $213K | 38 of 57 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 7 | 7 | 2001-2022 | 7 | 1 | – | 34 of 57 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 3 | 1998-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 52 of 57 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 3 | 2 | 1958-1980 | 0 | 0 | – | 45 of 57 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 2 | 2 | 1996-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 21 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 Glenn County had?
NOAA records 11 tornadoes in Glenn County from 1953 to 2014, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 13th 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 11 tornadoes whose track touched Glenn County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 11, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in California.
Every tornado record filed for Glenn County (11)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-03-26 | Artois, Glenn County | EF1 0.58 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-03-26 | Bayliss, Glenn County | EF1 0.95 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-03-26 | Bayliss, Glenn County | EF1 0.7 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-05-25 | Willows, Glenn County | EF1 26.37 mi x 120 yd | 0 | 0 | $722K |
| 2011-05-25 | Artois, Glenn County | EF1 21.65 mi x 120 yd | 0 | 0 | $262K |
| 2010-03-08 | Chrome, Glenn County | EF0 0.25 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $68K |
| 2009-01-24 | Codora, Glenn County | EF0 0.1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $138K |
| 2005-06-06 | Artois, Glenn County | F0 0.1 mi x 6 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-07-05 | Artois, Glenn County | F0 0.2 mi x 0 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1993-04-17 | Willows, Glenn County | F1 0.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 1953-05-19 | Glenn County | F2 2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
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 Glenn County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the December 24, 2025 high wind ($5,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-26 | FloodOrbend, Glenn County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-15 | Winter StormColusa County and 3 more · forecast zone Mountains Southwestern Shasta County To Western Colusa County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-24 | FloodOrbend, Glenn 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 | – | |
| 2025-04-01 | 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 | – | |
| 2025-02-06 | Heavy SnowColusa County and 3 more · forecast zone Mountains Southwestern Shasta County To Western Colusa County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-07-02 | WildfireButte County and 5 more · forecast zone Central Sacramento Valley | 0 | 0 | $4.9M | |
| 2024-02-04 | FloodWillows Glenn Co Arp, Glenn County | 0 | 0 | $372K | |
| 2024-02-04 | High WindButte County and 5 more · forecast zone Central Sacramento Valley | 59 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $282K |
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 | – | |
| 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 | |
| 2022-01-16 | Dense FogButte County and 4 more · forecast zone Central Sacramento Valley A 2 vehicle accident occurred around 2am on Highway 99 just south of Nicolaus Avenue in Sutter County, CA. 1 fatality was reported. CHP reported dense fog at site of incident and could be the cause but still to be determined. Nearby visibility observations were as low as 0.24 mile. The highway was closed for around ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2008-01-04 | High WindButte County and 4 more · forecast zone Central Sacramento Valley High wind was recorded across the area including a 69 mph wind gust at Yuba City, a 66 mph wind gust at Chico airport, and a 61 mph wind gust at Marysville airport. A Yuba County employee was killed along Griffith Avenue just south of North Beale Road in Linda when he was struck by a falling eucalyptus tree branch ... | 60 kt wind | 1 | 1 | $51M |
| 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 |
| 2024-07-02 | WildfireButte County and 5 more · forecast zone Central Sacramento Valley | 0 | 0 | $4.9M | |
| 2023-01-01 | FloodCapay, Glenn County | 0 | 0 | $4.8M | |
| 1998-12-19 | Cold/Wind ChillButte County and 4 more · forecast zone Central Sacramento Valley | 0 | 0 | $4.3M | |
| 1993-04-17 | TornadoWillows, Glenn County | F1 0.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 2011-05-25 | TornadoWillows, Glenn County | EF1 26.37 mi x 120 yd | 0 | 0 | $722K |
| 2023-03-04 | FloodChrome, Glenn County | 0 | 0 | $581K |
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 $3K, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 19, 1953 (tornado, Glenn 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 Glenn 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 17 | 58 z |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 15 | 22 | 18 | 20 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 1 | 5 | 9 | 32 z |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 13 | 16 | 5 | 11 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 7 | 2 | 10 | 12 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 0 | 7 | 8 | 12 |
Drought in the 2020-26: 58 records against 17 in the decade before, 58 of them forecast-zone records. Heat in the 2020-26: 32 records against 9 in the decade before, 32 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 Glenn 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 Glenn County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 60 · Feb 43 · Mar 39 · Apr 17 · May 14 · Jun 32 · Jul 37 · Aug 16 · Sep 17 · Oct 16 · Nov 23 · Dec 33 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Glenn County
FEMA's register lists 21 declarations that include Glenn County: 16 major disasters, 5 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (8) and severe storm (7).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2017-04-01 | DR-4308 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 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 |
| 1974-01-25 | DR-412 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 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 Glenn County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 31 flood or flash flood records for Glenn County from 1996 to 2026, on 25 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Glenn County ranks 949th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.4 million on 195 claims filed in Glenn County; the most in one year was 96 in 1998. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1980: 1 · 1983: 9 · 1986: 4 · 1995: 46 · 1996: 2 · 1997: 8 · 1998: 96 · 2000: 1 · 2001: 1 · 2002: 2 · 2006: 2 · 2008: 2 · 2010: 1 · 2017: 11 · 2019: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2026: 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 Glenn County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Glenn County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $40.9 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 | $21M | 85 modeled event-days a year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | $9.8M | once in about 21 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | $2.2M | once in about 236 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $47K | 24 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $1.4M | 7.5 modeled event-days a year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $6.5M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | $17 | once in about 909 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Very Low | $84K | 7.9 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 Glenn 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
- Drought in CaliforniaThe state's drought 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 Glenn CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Glenn County's FEMA declarations (CSV)21 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis