Mariposa County, California
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 06043 · population 17,060 · 1,449 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 2,107 records for Mariposa County, California from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 1,210 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (618 records). 1,856 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 July 16, 2006 heat, filed for the forecast zone E Central S.J. Valley, which covers the county: 30 deaths, 10 injuries and $329 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 24 declarations naming the county since 1969, 22 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “French Fire” on July 5, 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
- 2,107on 1,210 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 61210 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $1.2Bas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 3strongest EF0
- FEMA declarations
- 24latest 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 Mariposa County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 618 since 2000. 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 | 618 | 371 | 2000-2026 | 4 | 0 | $9.6M | 8 of 57 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 334 | 267 | 2000-2021 | 12 | 112 | $7.0M | 4 of 57 |
| High wind and dust storms | 265 | 138 | 2000-2025 | 1 | 4 | $237M | 19 of 57 |
| Drought | 198 | 68 | 2000-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 of 57 |
| Extreme cold | 185 | 166 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 0 | $541M | 2 of 57 |
| Wildfires | 131 | 101 | 2001-2020 | 3 | 76 | $80M | 1 of 57 |
| Floods | 118 | 71 | 1996-2025 | 2 | 0 | $7.5M | 12 of 57 |
| Heat | 114 | 77 | 2000-2025 | 32 | 10 | $329M | 5 of 57 |
| Heavy rain | 60 | 50 | 1996-2023 | 3 | 2 | $436K | 7 of 57 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 45 | 31 | 2005-2025 | 2 | 0 | $1.0M | 8 of 57 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 17 | 16 | 2000-2024 | 2 | 0 | $344K | 9 of 57 |
| Hail | 10 | 10 | 2000-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 of 57 |
| Lightning | 9 | 9 | 1998-2023 | 0 | 6 | $222K | 2 of 57 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 3 | 1972-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 32 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 Mariposa County had?
NOAA records 3 tornadoes in Mariposa County from 1972 to 2019, the strongest rated EF0, 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 3 tornadoes whose track touched Mariposa County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 3, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in California.
Every tornado record filed for Mariposa County (3)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-02-02 | Ben Hur, Mariposa County | EF0 0.19 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-01-14 | Hornitos, Mariposa County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1972-10-15 | Mariposa County | F0 | 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 Mariposa County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 13, 2024 thunderstorm wind (1 death).
Media report of a 20 year old hiker slipping and falling off of cables while descending Half Dome during a thunderstorm which was producing heavy rainfall and gusty winds. The fall resulted in fatal injuries.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1187786)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-15 | Heavy SnowMadera County and 2 more · forecast zone Yosemite Np Outside Of The Valley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-15 | Heavy SnowMadera County and 2 more · forecast zone Yosemite Np Outside Of The Valley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-10 | Heavy SnowMadera County and 2 more · forecast zone Yosemite Np Outside Of The Valley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-03 | Heavy SnowMadera County and 2 more · forecast zone Yosemite Np Outside Of The Valley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-14 | Winter StormMadera County and Mariposa County · forecast zone Mariposa - Madera Lower Sierra | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-09 | Excessive HeatMadera County and 2 more · forecast zone Planada-Legrand-Snelling | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-04-25 | Winter WeatherMadera County and 2 more · forecast zone Yosemite Np Outside Of The Valley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-04-01 | Winter WeatherMadera County and 2 more · forecast zone Yosemite Np Outside Of The Valley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-31 | Heavy SnowMadera County and 2 more · forecast zone Yosemite Np Outside Of The Valley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-17 | FloodBriceburg, Mariposa County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-17 | Heavy SnowMadera County and 2 more · forecast zone Yosemite Np Outside Of The Valley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-12 | Heavy SnowMadera County and 2 more · forecast zone Yosemite Np Outside Of The Valley | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-07-16 | HeatFresno County and 3 more · forecast zone E Central S.J. Valley Fresno/Madera/Merced | 30 | 10 | $329M | |
| 2007-11-03 | Dense FogFresno County and 3 more · forecast zone E Central S.J. Valley In the wake of the severe weather outbreak that hit the central and southern San Joaquin Valley on October 29th, there were pools of standing water in areas that received the heaviest rains. With an upper-level ridge providing a stable environment, and moisture from these pools recharging the airmass near the ground, ... | 3 | 41 | – | |
| 2012-11-27 | Dense FogFresno County and 3 more · forecast zone E Central S.J. Valley A weak upper-level disturbance brushed the northern fringes of the WFO Hanford warning/ forecast area on November 20th-21st. This disturbance brought 0.21 inch of rain to Yosemite Valley, with only around a hundredth as far south as Shaver Lake and into the Southern Sierra Nevada foothills near Mariposa and Oakhurst. ... | 3 | 0 | $386K | |
| 2018-07-13 | WildfireFresno County and 3 more · forecast zone S Sierra Mtns The Ferguson fire began July 13, 2018 and continued burning into August. Tragically, 2 firefighters were killed. A CalFire bulldozer operator died on July 14 when his dozer rolled off a sharp ridge. A hotshot from Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park was killed when he was hit by a falling tree on July 29. One structure ... | 2 | 9 | – | |
| 2018-07-13 | WildfireFresno County and 2 more · forecast zone S Sierra Foothills The Ferguson fire began July 13, 2018 and continued burning into August. Tragically, 2 firefighters were killed. A CalFire bulldozer operator died on July 14 when his dozer rolled off a sharp ridge. A hotshot from Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park was killed when he was hit by a falling tree on July 29. One structure ... | 2 | 9 | – | |
| 2022-12-27 | Debris FlowForesta, Mariposa County Yosemite National Park employees reported two people were killed by a rockslide near the intersection of SR 140 and Big Oak Flat Road in Yosemite National Park. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2018-03-22 | Flash FloodCoulterville, Mariposa County Mariposa Office of Emergency Services reported several homes flooded and roadways washed out. While many roadways were washed out across Northwestern Mariposa County, the homes were generally impacted near Lake Don Pedro, Hornitos, and the City of Mariposa. The two fatalities that did occur in the area were both ... | 2 | 0 | $2.4M | |
| 2004-10-19 | Winter StormFresno County and 3 more · forecast zone S Sierra Mtns Following the early-season Winter Storm that began on the 17th, extensively more snow fell on the 19th and 20th in the higher elevations of Central California. High winds accompanied this system throughout much of the state. This early winter storm caught numerous climbers and hikers throughout the Southern Sierra ... | 2 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-07-16 | HeatFresno County and 3 more · forecast zone E Central S.J. Valley | 30 | 10 | $329M | |
| 2021-01-18 | High WindFresno County and 3 more · forecast zone Central Sierra | 87 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $218M |
| 2007-01-11 | Frost/FreezeFresno County and 3 more · forecast zone E Central S.J. Valley | 0 | 0 | $154M | |
| 2011-12-08 | Frost/FreezeFresno County and 3 more · forecast zone E Central S.J. Valley | 0 | 0 | $131M | |
| 2018-02-20 | Frost/FreezeFresno County and 3 more · forecast zone E Central S.J. Valley | 0 | 0 | $59M | |
| 2001-04-04 | Frost/FreezeFresno County and 3 more · forecast zone E Central Sj Valley | 0 | 0 | $51M | |
| 2008-07-25 | WildfireFresno County and 3 more · forecast zone S Sierra Mtns | 0 | 0 | $34M | |
| 2013-09-01 | WildfireFresno County and 3 more · forecast zone S Sierra Mtns | 0 | 0 | $19M |
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 Mariposa 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 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 190 | 252 | 176 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 0 | 94 | 202 | 38 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 80 | 70 | 115 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 13 | 111 z | 74 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 0 | 78 | 87 | 20 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 0 | 70 | 54 | 7 |
Drought in the 2010s: 111 records against 13 in the decade before, 111 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 Mariposa 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 Mariposa County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 460 · Feb 297 · Mar 186 · Apr 83 · May 69 · Jun 78 · Jul 100 · Aug 94 · Sep 70 · Oct 80 · Nov 227 · Dec 363 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Mariposa County
FEMA's register lists 24 declarations that include Mariposa County: 10 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 8 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (9) and severe storm (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-05 | FM-5503 | Fire | French 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 |
| 2023-01-09 | EM-3591 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 2022-07-23 | FM-5445 | Fire | Oak Fire |
| 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 |
| 2017-09-02 | FM-5202 | Fire | Railroad Fire |
| 2017-07-17 | FM-5192 | Fire | Detwiler Fire |
| 2017-04-01 | DR-4308 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 2014-09-05 | FM-5077 | Fire | Bridge Fire |
| 2013-08-23 | FM-5049 | Fire | Rim Fire |
| 2008-06-28 | EM-3287 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3248 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-09-13 | FM-2555 | Fire | Rix-Ca-Old Highway Wildfire 9/13/04 |
| 2004-09-02 | FM-2552 | Fire | Ca-Bear Fire-09-02-2004 |
| 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 |
| 1983-02-09 | DR-677 | Coastal Storm | Coastal Storms, Floods, Slides & Tornadoes |
| 1977-01-20 | EM-3023 | Drought | Drought |
| 1969-01-26 | DR-253 | Flood | Severe Storms & 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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Mariposa County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Mariposa County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $38.1 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 | $1.7M | 27 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively High | $15M | once in about 64 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | $11M | 6.1 modeled event-days a year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $113K | 13 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $448K | 83 modeled event-days a year |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $302K | 18 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $8.4M | 2.1 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $433K | once in about 35 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Mariposa 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 Mariposa CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Mariposa County's FEMA declarations (CSV)24 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis