Placer County, California
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 06061 · population 404,590 · 1,407 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 2,214 records for Placer County, California from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 1,036 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (1,334 records). 2,046 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 February 15, 2026 avalanche, filed for the forecast zone Greater Lake Tahoe Area, which covers the county: 9 deaths. FEMA has issued 26 declarations naming the county since 1964, 24 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides” on March 10, 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
- 2,214on 1,036 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 114174 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $814Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 6strongest F1
- FEMA declarations
- 26latest 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 Placer County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 1,334 since 1996. 41% 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 | 1,334 | 628 | 1996-2026 | 19 | 20 | $3.4M | 4 of 57 |
| High wind and dust storms | 361 | 234 | 1996-2026 | 10 | 7 | $27M | 9 of 57 |
| Drought | 111 | 56 | 2014-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 of 57 |
| Floods | 88 | 45 | 1996-2026 | 5 | 1 | $33M | 19 of 57 |
| Heavy rain | 74 | 51 | 1998-2026 | 3 | 0 | $17K | 5 of 57 |
| Heat | 73 | 50 | 1999-2025 | 16 | 21 | – | 14 of 57 |
| Wildfires | 49 | 42 | 2007-2025 | 5 | 68 | $738M | 11 of 57 |
| Extreme cold | 45 | 42 | 1997-2025 | 25 | 2 | $7.4M | 14 of 57 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 30 | 26 | 1996-2026 | 19 | 12 | $10K | 11 of 57 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 22 | 22 | 1996-2026 | 12 | 43 | $4.1M | 19 of 57 |
| Hail | 12 | 12 | 1967-2024 | 0 | 0 | $21K | 12 of 57 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 6 | 1972-2017 | 0 | 0 | $746K | 22 of 57 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 5 | 5 | 1957-2025 | 0 | 0 | $26K | 29 of 57 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 3 | 2 | 1996-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 23 of 57 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2024-2024 | 0 | 0 | $85K | 31 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 Placer County had?
NOAA records 6 tornadoes in Placer County from 1972 to 2017, the strongest rated F1, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 22nd 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 6 tornadoes whose track touched Placer County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 6, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in California.
Every tornado record filed for Placer County (6)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-01-09 | Lincoln, Placer County | EF0 0.18 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-03-26 | Riego, Placer County | EF0 4.02 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-04-23 | Placer County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1983-03-22 | Placer County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1983-03-03 | Placer County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1972-10-15 | Placer County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
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 Placer County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the February 15, 2026 avalanche (9 deaths).
Nevada Co Sheriff responded to a report of avalanche just north of Frog Lake near Castle Peak during the afternoon on the 17th. The avalanche caught a buried 15 backcountry skiers, resulting in 9 fatalities.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1316161)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-21 | Heavy SnowSierra County and 2 more · forecast zone Sierra Nevada Of Sierra-Nevada-Placer Counties Above 5000 Ft Including Interstate 80 | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-21 | FloodHidden Vly, Placer County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-21 | FloodHidden Vly, Placer County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-21 | Winter WeatherAlpine County and 3 more · forecast zone Greater Lake Tahoe Area | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-11 | FloodCrater Hill, Placer County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-11 | FloodPenryn, Placer County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-11 | Heavy SnowAlpine County and 3 more · forecast zone Greater Lake Tahoe Area | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-10 | Heavy SnowAlpine County and 8 more · forecast zone West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-02 | High WindAlpine County and 3 more · forecast zone Greater Lake Tahoe Area | 119 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-01 | Heavy SnowAlpine County and 3 more · forecast zone Greater Lake Tahoe Area | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-24 | High WindAlpine County and 3 more · forecast zone Greater Lake Tahoe Area | 58 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-19 | Heavy SnowAlpine County and 3 more · forecast zone Greater Lake Tahoe Area | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-15 | AvalancheAlpine County and 3 more · forecast zone Greater Lake Tahoe Area Nevada Co Sheriff responded to a report of avalanche just north of Frog Lake near Castle Peak during the afternoon on the 17th. The avalanche caught a buried 15 backcountry skiers, resulting in 9 fatalities. | 9 | 0 | – | |
| 2017-06-18 | Excessive HeatPlacer County and 4 more · forecast zone Southern Sacramento Valley The Sacramento County Coroner reported a total of 6 heat related deaths in the county. One victim was a 88-year-old woman found outside her home in Elk Grove on June 16th. She had been doing yard work. Her air conditioner was on inside her residence. Another decedent was a 36 year old male found collapsed behind his ... | 6 | 0 | – | |
| 1997-12-11 | Dense FogPlacer County and 4 more · forecast zone Yolo T W/Ne Solano/Sacramento T X Sw/X W Placer/X W Amador/S Sutter Patchy dense fog was a main contributing factor in a major chain reaction collision on northbound Interstate 5 near Lambert, CA, 17 miles south of downtown Sacramento. The crash involved 8 tractor trailers, 1 tanker truck, and 28 automobiles and small trucks. The five fatalities were burn victims caught in the fires ... | 5 | 26 | $2.8M | |
| 2025-06-18 | Cold/Wind ChillAlpine County and 8 more · forecast zone West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada Placer County Sheriff reported the missing hikers entered the water on June 18th and did not surface. Their bodies were recovered on June 22nd. Air temperatures at the time were in the mid 70s to 80s at the time of the report with water temperatures in the 40s to 50s. | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2020-05-28 | Cold/Wind ChillAmador County and 6 more · forecast zone Motherlode/Camptonville To Groveland Three men went missing after being swept into the Cosumnes River in El Dorado County on Thursday. The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office said at around 4pm a caller reported seeing the men get swept into the river and disappear. Sheriff’s deputies, a dive team, a helicopter, and multiple fire and rescue crews all ... | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2015-09-09 | WildfireAlpine County and 6 more · forecast zone West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada There were 70,868 acres were burned in the Butte Fire, the 7th most destructive fire in California history. There were 475 residences and 343 outbuildings destroyed, and 45 structures damaged. In the fire there were 2 civilian fatalities and 1 injury. The cause has tentatively been attributed to a PG&E power line ... | 2 | 1 | – | |
| 2024-11-23 | FloodAuburn, Placer County Placer County Sheriff reported a group of three men went to fish in the North American River, north of Folsom Lake on November 23rd. Two of the men, both 20 years old, got into the water. One of them was swept away by the strong currents and the second man tried to help but was also pulled into the current. The ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-07-02 | Excessive HeatAmador County and 6 more · forecast zone Southern Sacramento Valley Dangerously hot daytime high temperatures of 100 to 115 degrees were observed from July 2nd through July 13th. Little relief from the heat was observed overnight, with low temperatures around the 60s to mid 70s over the same timeframe. Multiple daily high temperature records were tied or broken at Downtown Sacramento ... | 2 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-06-24 | WildfireAlpine County and 3 more · forecast zone Greater Lake Tahoe Area | 0 | 3 | $712M | |
| 2025-09-02 | WildfireAmador County and 6 more · forecast zone Motherlode/Camptonville To Groveland | 0 | 1 | $25M | |
| 1998-02-02 | FloodPlacer County and 4 more · forecast zone Southern Sacramento Valley | 0 | 0 | $22M | |
| 2008-01-04 | High WindPlacer County and 4 more · forecast zone Southern Sacramento Valley | 62 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10M |
| 2007-01-14 | Frost/FreezePlacer County and 4 more · forecast zone Southern Sacramento Valley | 0 | 0 | $7.4M | |
| 2017-01-09 | FloodAlta, Placer County | 0 | 0 | $6.0M | |
| 2006-01-01 | FloodCountywide, Placer County | 0 | 0 | $2.9M | |
| 1997-12-11 | Dense FogPlacer County and 4 more · forecast zone Yolo T W/Ne Solano/Sacramento T X Sw/X W Placer/X W Amador/S Sutter | 5 | 26 | $2.8M |
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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: March 22, 1983 (tornado, Placer 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 Placer 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 | – | – | – | – | 162 | 420 | 362 | 390 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 25 | 66 | 93 | 177 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 45 | 66 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 13 | 17 | 16 | 42 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 4 | 13 | 42 | 15 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 2 | 23 | 10 | 38 z |
Heat in the 2020-26: 38 records against 10 in the decade before, 38 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 Placer 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?
41% 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 438 · Feb 373 · Mar 278 · Apr 181 · May 79 · Jun 52 · Jul 51 · Aug 42 · Sep 54 · Oct 92 · Nov 204 · Dec 370 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Placer County
FEMA's register lists 26 declarations that include Placer County: 13 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 7 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (9) and flood (6).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2022-09-09 | FM-5453 | Fire | Mosquito Fire |
| 2021-09-01 | EM-3571 | Fire | Caldor Fire |
| 2021-08-24 | DR-4610 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2021-08-05 | FM-5405 | Fire | River Fire |
| 2020-03-22 | DR-4482 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3428 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2017-02-14 | DR-4301 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 2014-10-08 | FM-5082 | Fire | Applegate Fire |
| 2009-08-31 | FM-2832 | Fire | 49 Fire |
| 2008-09-02 | FM-2786 | Fire | Gladding Fire |
| 2006-06-05 | DR-1646 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2006-02-03 | DR-1628 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3248 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-08-08 | FM-2541 | Fire | Ca-Stevens Fire-08--8-2004 |
| 2002-09-19 | FM-2463 | Fire | Sierra Fire |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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.
How many floods has Placer County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 88 flood or flash flood records for Placer County from 1996 to 2026, on 45 days, with 5 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Placer County ranks 437th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $16.1 million on 628 claims filed in Placer County; the most in one year was 297 in 1995. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1980: 5 · 1981: 2 · 1982: 16 · 1983: 19 · 1986: 63 · 1989: 4 · 1991: 3 · 1992: 1 · 1993: 2 · 1994: 4 · 1995: 297 · 1996: 12 · 1997: 80 · 1998: 28 · 2000: 10 · 2001: 1 · 2002: 2 · 2005: 15 · 2006: 1 · 2007: 2 · 2008: 2 · 2009: 1 · 2010: 2 · 2011: 2 · 2012: 11 · 2014: 8 · 2015: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2017: 8 · 2018: 5 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2023: 7 · 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 Placer County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Placer County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $163 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche | Very High | $6.7M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively High | $25M | once in about 164 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | $107M | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $983K | 14 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | $19M | once in about 38 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $1.7M | 62 modeled event-days a year |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $40K | 2.3 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $1.1M | 4.3 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 Placer 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 Placer CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Placer County's FEMA declarations (CSV)26 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis