Modoc County, California
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 06049 · population 8,672 · 3,948 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 467 records for Modoc County, California from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 319 days; the most frequent are extreme cold records (178 records). 433 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 30, 2015 wildfire, filed for the forecast zone Modoc County, which covers the county: 1 death. FEMA has issued 17 declarations naming the county since 1964, 15 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
- 467on 319 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 10 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $613Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- FEMA declarations
- 17latest 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 Modoc County most?
The most frequent records are extreme cold records: 178 since 1997. 54% of its extreme cold records since 1997 fell in September and October. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extreme cold | 178 | 105 | 1997-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 16 of 57 |
| Winter storms | 115 | 81 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 31 of 57 |
| High wind and dust storms | 96 | 77 | 2002-2026 | 0 | 0 | $43K | 51 of 57 |
| Wildfires | 33 | 33 | 2006-2025 | 1 | 0 | $1.2M | 41 of 57 |
| Floods | 15 | 14 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | $611M | 55 of 57 |
| Heat | 8 | 4 | 2017-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 50 of 57 |
| Hail | 7 | 4 | 1958-2003 | 0 | 0 | $110K | 54 of 57 |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 5 | 2018-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 54 of 57 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 7 | 5 | 1999-2015 | 0 | 0 | $55K | 48 of 57 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2003-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 38 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.
When was the last damaging storm in Modoc County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the February 3, 2025 flood ($1.0 million in damage in 2025 dollars).
Nearly two days of heavy rain, with amounts of around 1.50 to 2.50 inches, combined with snow melt caused the Pit River near Canby to rise to a peak above major flood stage. This was the fourth highest peak since records began in 1904, and the highest peak in the past 28 years. The river rose above minor flood stage of 8.5 ft. at 03/1445 PST, peaked in major flood stage at 04/2330 PST at 11.13 ft. It then fell slowly, dropping below minor flood stage at 08/0130 PST.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1230683)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-15 | Strong WindModoc County · forecast zone Surprise Valley | 45 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-01 | Strong WindModoc County · forecast zone Surprise Valley | 40 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-16 | Winter WeatherModoc County · forecast zone Surprise Valley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-03 | Strong WindModoc County · forecast zone Surprise Valley | 47 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-25 | Winter StormModoc County · forecast zone Modoc County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-25 | Winter StormModoc County and Siskiyou County · forecast zone Northeast Siskiyou And Northwest Modoc Counties | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-21 | High WindModoc County · forecast zone Surprise Valley | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-11-05 | High WindModoc County and Siskiyou County · forecast zone Northeast Siskiyou And Northwest Modoc Counties | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-11-05 | Strong WindModoc County · forecast zone Surprise Valley | 47 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-10-25 | Strong WindModoc County · forecast zone Surprise Valley | 45 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-11 | WildfireModoc County and Siskiyou County · forecast zone Northeast Siskiyou And Northwest Modoc Counties | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-01 | WildfireModoc County and Siskiyou County · forecast zone Northeast Siskiyou And Northwest Modoc Counties | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-07-30 | WildfireModoc County · forecast zone Modoc County The Frog Wildfire was started by lightning at around 1645 PST on 07/30/2015. As of 0330 PST on 08/01/2015, the fire covered 1000 acres and was 10 percent contained. 400,000 dollars had been spent on firefighting efforts. On the evening of July 30, 2015, 38 year-old Black Hills National Forest Engine Captain, David – ... | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-01-01 | FloodModoc County · forecast zone Surprise Valley | 0 | 0 | $607M | |
| 2005-05-08 | FloodModoc County · forecast zone Modoc County | 0 | 0 | $3.4M | |
| 2014-08-01 | WildfireModoc County · forecast zone Modoc County | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | |
| 2025-02-03 | FloodLookout, Modoc County | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | |
| 2011-07-06 | Thunderstorm WindCedarville, Modoc County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $26K |
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 Modoc 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 1 | 92 | 66 | 19 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 65 | 25 | 19 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 25 | 48 | 23 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 0 | 3 | 19 | 11 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 3 | 3 | 8 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
54% of its extreme cold records since 1997 fell in September and October. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 37 · Feb 51 · Mar 23 · Apr 22 · May 18 · Jun 63 · Jul 34 · Aug 18 · Sep 86 · Oct 28 · Nov 30 · Dec 57 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Modoc County
FEMA's register lists 17 declarations that include Modoc County: 13 major disasters, 3 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for flood (7) and severe storm (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-04-03 | DR-4699 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, 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 |
| 2014-08-03 | FM-5070 | Fire | Day Fire |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3248 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 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 |
| 1993-02-03 | DR-979 | Flood | Severe Winter Storm, Mud & Land Slides, & Flooding |
| 1986-02-21 | DR-758 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1977-01-20 | EM-3023 | Drought | Drought |
| 1970-02-16 | DR-283 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1969-01-26 | DR-253 | 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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Modoc County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Modoc County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $9.8 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 | $2.7M | 98 modeled event-days a year |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | $1.8M | once in about 187 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $583K | once in about 66 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $4.5M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $29K | 17 a year (modeled) |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | $821 | once in about 417 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $314 | about once a year (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Very Low | $89 | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Modoc County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Extreme cold in CaliforniaThe state's extreme cold 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 Modoc CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Modoc County's FEMA declarations (CSV)17 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis