Humboldt County, California
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 06023 · population 135,972 · 3,568 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,036 records for Humboldt County, California from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 373 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (461 records). 797 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 7, 2004 high surf, filed for the forecast zone North Coast Interior, which covers the county: 3 deaths. FEMA has issued 27 declarations naming the county since 1964, 24 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
- 1,036on 373 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 3241 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $227Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 2strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 27latest 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 Humboldt County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 461 since 1996. 61% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in February and March. 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 | 461 | 152 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $2K | 27 of 57 |
| High wind and dust storms | 253 | 120 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 5 | $18M | 39 of 57 |
| Floods | 128 | 58 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 0 | $108M | 40 of 57 |
| Heavy rain | 69 | 33 | 2002-2025 | 0 | 1 | $49M | 32 of 57 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 29 | 27 | 1996-2024 | 25 | 10 | $18M | 13 of 57 |
| Hail | 29 | 21 | 1982-2026 | 1 | 23 | $39K | 21 of 57 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 24 | 13 | 1982-2026 | 1 | 1 | $7K | 28 of 57 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 18 | 14 | 1996-2023 | 1 | 0 | – | 37 of 57 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 3 | 1998-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 51 of 57 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 5 | 5 | 2003-2022 | 1 | 1 | $2.6M | 7 of 57 |
| Wildfires | 5 | 4 | 1999-2008 | 0 | 0 | – | 54 of 57 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 4 | 2 | 2005-2025 | 0 | 0 | $32M | 46 of 57 |
| Heat | 2 | 1 | 2002-2002 | 0 | 0 | – | 55 of 57 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 2 | 1958-2018 | 0 | 0 | $26K | 44 of 57 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 1998-1998 | 0 | 0 | – | 37 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 Humboldt County had?
NOAA records 2 tornadoes in Humboldt County from 1958 to 2018, the strongest rated F2, 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 Humboldt 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 Humboldt County (2)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-01-25 | Eureka, Humboldt County | EF0 0.04 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $118 |
| 1958-03-29 | Humboldt County | F2 2 mi x 200 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 Humboldt County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the January 3, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-09 | HailOrleans, Humboldt County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-04 | Coastal FloodHumboldt County · forecast zone Northern Humboldt Coast | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-04 | FloodBeatrice, Humboldt County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-03 | Thunderstorm WindShelter Cove, Humboldt County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-03 | Thunderstorm WindShelter Cove, Humboldt County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-03 | Thunderstorm WindShelter Cove Ar, Humboldt County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-01-03 | Thunderstorm WindShelter Cove, Humboldt County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-03 | Thunderstorm WindGarberville Airport, Humboldt County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-03 | Thunderstorm WindMyers Flat, Humboldt County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-03 | Flash FloodPetrolia, Humboldt County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-03 | Strong WindHumboldt County · forecast zone Southern Humboldt Interior | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-03 | Coastal FloodHumboldt County · forecast zone Northern Humboldt Coast | 0 | 0 | $200K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-06-07 | High SurfDel Norte County and 2 more · forecast zone North Coast Interior Between 8 am and 7 pm a boat was sunk after being struck by a series of waves. The nearest buoy (46027) reported wave heights of 6.9 to 8.5 feet at 11 seconds. One female survivor swam to a near by off shore rock and spent the night. | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2000-03-25 | Rip CurrentShelter Cove, Humboldt County A school group from Calgary, Alberta was visiting Black Sands Beach near Shelter Cove. A rogue wave swept the female victim out to sea. Four other members of the group attempted a rescue but were overcome by waves and currents. Two were later rescued by a fishing vessel and the Coast Guard. Two teenage boys were not ... | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2006-10-22 | High SurfDel Norte County and Humboldt County · forecast zone Redwood Coast A sneaker wave knocked down and pulled into the ocean a 4-year-old girl. Witnesses reported that the girl was high on the dry sand when the unusually large sneaker wave occurred. A 21-year-old women attempted to rescue the girl and both the girl and the woman died in the surf. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2004-01-02 | High SurfDel Norte County and Humboldt County · forecast zone Redwood Coast Family passing through area stopped for lunch. While playing near the water a large wave pulled several family members into the water. 38 year old was attempting to rescue the 8 year old boy. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 1996-03-12 | High SurfDel Norte County and Humboldt County · forecast zone Redwood Coast Crab boat Ocean Gypsy was found by US Coast Guard helicopter in the surf of Mad River Beach. The two fishermen on board were missing and presumed lost (one body was eventually found). The exact time of the incident cannot be determined but occured between 0700 PST and 1430 PST. Incident probably weather related due to ... | 2 | 0 | $19K | |
| 2020-12-07 | High SurfHumboldt County · forecast zone Northern Humboldt Coast On Dec. 7, 2020, at about 12 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s Special Services deputies were dispatched to the North Jetty of Humboldt Bay for the report of a female victim who had been swept into the ocean. Deputies arrived on scene and learned that the 67 year-old victim of Salt Lake City, Utah, had been visiting the ... | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2024-10-16 | SneakerwaveHumboldt County · forecast zone Northern Humboldt Coast A woman was swept into the Pacific Ocean near the visitor's center at Freshwater Lagoon, 1.5 miles south of Orick, CA. The lady's husband entered the water in an attempt to rescue his wife. They both were caught in the waves and eventually rescued by other people on the beach using a human chain to pull them out of ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2022-05-29 | Storm Surge/TideHumboldt County · forecast zone Southwestern Humboldt Shelter Cove Fire Department responded to a call about two hikers in the water who had tried to pass a point while hiking The Lost Coast Trail. The tides were not very low this day during the afternoon, nor particularly high, about 4 feet. The swell was around 11 feet at 10 seconds, which brought some larger waves to ... | 1 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-01-01 | FloodDel Norte County and Humboldt County · forecast zone Redwood Coast | 0 | 0 | $56M | |
| 2005-12-29 | FloodDel Norte County and Humboldt County · forecast zone Redwood Coast | 0 | 0 | $28M | |
| 2005-12-28 | Debris FlowDel Norte County and 2 more · forecast zone North Coast Interior | 0 | 0 | $26M | |
| 2006-11-15 | TsunamiDel Norte County and Humboldt County · forecast zone Redwood Coast | 0 | 0 | $13M | |
| 1996-12-07 | FloodDel Norte County and Humboldt County · forecast zone Redwood Coast | 0 | 0 | $13M | |
| 1997-01-01 | FloodHumboldt County and 2 more · forecast zone Upper Trinity River | 0 | 0 | $9.2M | |
| 2017-01-09 | Heavy RainEnglewood, Humboldt County | 0 | 0 | $6.0M | |
| 2023-03-27 | High WindHumboldt County · forecast zone Northern Humboldt Coast | 46 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5.8M |
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: March 29, 1958 (tornado, Humboldt 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 Humboldt 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 | – | – | – | – | 51 | 44 | 149 z | 217 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 55 | 30 | 37 | 131 z |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 19 | 12 | 29 | 68 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 35 | 33 |
| Rip currents and high surf | – | – | – | – | 5 | 11 | 4 | 9 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 16 | 6 |
Winter storms in the 2010s: 149 records against 44 in the decade before, 149 of them forecast-zone records. High wind and dust storms in the 2020-26: 131 records against 37 in the decade before, 131 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 Humboldt 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?
61% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in February and March. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 216 · Feb 258 · Mar 188 · Apr 43 · May 10 · Jun 10 · Jul 4 · Aug 2 · Sep 5 · Oct 13 · Nov 68 · Dec 219 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Humboldt County
FEMA's register lists 27 declarations that include Humboldt County: 22 major disasters, 5 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (12) and severe storm (8).
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2017-02-14 | DR-4301 | Severe Storm | 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 |
| 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 |
| 1994-09-13 | DR-1038 | Fishing Losses | The El Nino (the Salmon Industry) |
| 1993-02-03 | DR-979 | Flood | Severe Winter Storm, Mud & Land Slides, & Flooding |
| 1992-05-04 | DR-943 | Earthquake | Earthquake & Aftershocks |
| 1986-02-21 | DR-758 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1983-02-09 | DR-677 | Coastal Storm | Coastal Storms, Floods, Slides & Tornadoes |
| 1982-01-07 | DR-651 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flood, Mudslides & High Tide |
| 1974-01-25 | DR-412 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1972-04-05 | DR-329 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1969-01-26 | DR-253 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1966-01-22 | DR-212 | 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 Humboldt County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 128 flood or flash flood records for Humboldt County from 1996 to 2026, on 58 days, with 2 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Humboldt County ranks 940th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $3.1 million on 201 claims filed in Humboldt County; the most in one year was 42 in 1995. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 1 · 1980: 1 · 1981: 1 · 1982: 1 · 1983: 3 · 1985: 1 · 1986: 21 · 1989: 1 · 1993: 5 · 1995: 42 · 1996: 26 · 1997: 22 · 1998: 9 · 2000: 1 · 2001: 2 · 2002: 16 · 2003: 4 · 2004: 1 · 2005: 8 · 2006: 2 · 2008: 1 · 2009: 2 · 2010: 3 · 2012: 2 · 2014: 2 · 2015: 3 · 2016: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2019: 5 · 2021: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 4 · 2025: 3 · 2026: 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 Humboldt County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Humboldt County Relatively High overall, with an expected annual loss of $189 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively High | $2.3M | 83 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | $94M | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | $51M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Tsunami | Relatively High | $33M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | $3.7M | 3.6 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | $3.0M | once in about 603 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $650K | 34 modeled event-days a year |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $252K | 2.6 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Humboldt 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 Humboldt CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Humboldt County's FEMA declarations (CSV)27 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis