Plumas County, California
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 06063 · population 19,746 · 2,553 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 886 records for Plumas County, California from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 591 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (577 records). 766 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 13, 2021 wildfire, filed for the forecast zone Mt Shasta/Western Plumas County, which covers the county: 1 death and 3 injuries. FEMA has issued 23 declarations naming the county since 1964, 21 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
- 886on 591 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 66 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $48Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- FEMA declarations
- 23latest 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 Plumas County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 577 since 1996. 42% 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 | 577 | 401 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $572K | 10 of 57 |
| High wind and dust storms | 131 | 102 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 2 | $3.8M | 34 of 57 |
| Heavy rain | 62 | 48 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1K | 14 of 57 |
| Floods | 20 | 18 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 1 | $4.1M | 49 of 57 |
| Hail | 20 | 18 | 1992-2020 | 0 | 0 | $8K | 17 of 57 |
| Drought | 18 | 18 | 2009-2022 | 0 | 0 | $69K | 30 of 57 |
| Wildfires | 16 | 16 | 1999-2024 | 1 | 3 | $39M | 44 of 57 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 15 | 10 | 2005-2025 | 0 | 0 | $3K | 24 of 57 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 11 | 9 | 1998-2013 | 0 | 0 | $2K | 39 of 57 |
| Heat | 8 | 8 | 2021-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 45 of 57 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 3 | 1997-2019 | 2 | 0 | – | 45 of 57 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 2 | 2 | 2021-2021 | 1 | 0 | – | 34 of 57 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 1 | 2015-2015 | 0 | 0 | $840K | 55 of 57 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2009-2009 | 1 | 0 | – | 34 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 Plumas County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the November 5, 2025 high wind (1 injury and $80,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Doyle RAWS, Hidden Valley RAWS, and Pierce RAWS reported peak wind gusts of 70, 60 and 61 mph, respectively. The Lassen County EM reported wind damage in and around Susanville and Standish, including broken power poles (80+ different power outages) and trees down. A weather spotter in Susanville reported that a pine tree 36 in diameter snapped and hit and destroyed a vehicle, while another 30 pine tree also broke and hit a house, causing damage. Winds were likely stronger in town given the damage reports, but we lacked observations for ground truth.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1293997)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-14 | Excessive HeatTehama County and 2 more · forecast zone Sierra Nevada Of Tehama-Butte-Plumas Counties Between 1000-3000 Ft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-03 | Strong WindLassen County and 2 more · forecast zone Lassen/Eastern Plumas/Eastern Sierra | 45 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-21 | Heavy SnowTehama County and 2 more · forecast zone Sierra Nevada Of Tehama-Butte-Plumas Counties Above 3000 Ft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-21 | Heavy SnowLassen County and 3 more · forecast zone Lassen Volcanic National Park | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-11 | Winter WeatherLassen County and 2 more · forecast zone Lassen/Eastern Plumas/Eastern Sierra | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-10 | Heavy SnowButte County and 4 more · forecast zone Mt Shasta/Western Plumas County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | High WindLassen County and 2 more · forecast zone Lassen/Eastern Plumas/Eastern Sierra | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-19 | Winter StormLassen County and 2 more · forecast zone Lassen/Eastern Plumas/Eastern Sierra | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-15 | Heavy SnowLassen County and 2 more · forecast zone Lassen/Eastern Plumas/Eastern Sierra | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-15 | Winter StormButte County and 4 more · forecast zone Mt Shasta/Western Plumas County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-09 | Winter WeatherLassen County and 2 more · forecast zone Lassen/Eastern Plumas/Eastern Sierra | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-03 | Heavy SnowLassen County and 2 more · forecast zone Lassen/Eastern Plumas/Eastern Sierra | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-07-13 | WildfireButte County and 3 more · forecast zone Mt Shasta/Western Plumas County The Dixie Fire began in Butte County in the Feather River Canyon, CA the evening of July 14, 2021 and quickly spread into Plumas County, CA. The first few days the fire saw significant growth. The fire grew from nearly 19,000 acres the evening of July 18th to 30,000 acres by the early morning of July 19th. The fire ... | 1 | 3 | – | |
| 2021-08-01 | Astronomical Low TideButte County and 3 more · forecast zone Mt Shasta/Western Plumas County The Dixie Fire began in Butte County in the Feather River Canyon, CA the evening of July 14, 2021 and quickly spread. The fire eventually burned in five counties: Butte, Lassen, Plumas, Shasta and Tehama. This includes the Plumas National Forest, Lassen National Forest, and Lassen Volcanic National Park. The fire has ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2019-07-24 | Cold/Wind ChillButte County and 3 more · forecast zone Mt Shasta/Western Plumas County On the evening of July 24th at 1700 PST three people were swimming in the Feather River Canyon when suddenly they started to be carried away by the current. Two of the swimmers escaped; however, the third person, a 9 year old child, did not. His body was located around 2000 PST under the Tobin Bridge. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2019-07-17 | Cold/Wind ChillButte County and 3 more · forecast zone Mt Shasta/Western Plumas County On July 17, 2019 the Plumas County Sheriff's Office posted on their Facebook page about a cold water death that occurred near the Rock Creek Bridge on Highway 70 in the Feather River Canyon. The Sheriff's Office received the call at 1434PST that a victim had fallen into the water while hiking and at the time of call ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2009-06-03 | LightningPortola, Plumas County The Plumas County Sheriff's Department reported that a woman was struck by lightning at her home in Portola. She was transported by helicopter to the U.C. Davis Medical Center. She never regained consciousness and died from her injuries on June 11th. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1996-12-20 | Heavy SnowButte County and 3 more · forecast zone Mt Shasta/Western Plumas County The heaviest snow in many years caused a number of problems in the Shasta-Cascades region and in the Sierra Nevada range. 8-foot snow accumulations at the higher elevations in a 36-hour timeframe came within half a foot of the record at Kirkwood Ski Resort (Amador/El Dorado counties). A storm total of 8 feet fell in ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-05 | High WindLassen County and 2 more · forecast zone Lassen/Eastern Plumas/Eastern Sierra Doyle RAWS, Hidden Valley RAWS, and Pierce RAWS reported peak wind gusts of 70, 60 and 61 mph, respectively. The Lassen County EM reported wind damage in and around Susanville and Standish, including broken power poles (80+ different power outages) and trees down. A weather spotter in Susanville reported that a pine ... | 61 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $80K |
| 2013-11-21 | High WindButte County and 3 more · forecast zone Mt Shasta/Western Plumas County Strong wind gusts of 70 to 90 mph were estimated or measured over far northern Sierra Nevada and southern Cascades region. A location 12 miles west of Caribou in Plumas County measured 86mph from the Mesonet, and a location 7 miles east-northeast of Mill Creek (6730ft) in Plumas County reported 87mph. Multiple trees ... | 78 kt wind | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-09-01 | WildfireQuincy, Plumas County | 0 | 0 | $39M | |
| 2017-02-07 | FloodGraeagle, Plumas County | 0 | 0 | $2.4M | |
| 2015-07-03 | Thunderstorm WindChester Airport, Plumas County | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $654K |
| 1997-01-22 | Heavy SnowLassen County and 2 more · forecast zone Lassen/Eastern Plumas/Eastern Sierra | 0 | 0 | $368K | |
| 2002-12-14 | High WindLassen County and 2 more · forecast zone Lassen/Eastern Plumas/Eastern Sierra | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $361K |
| 2025-11-05 | High WindLassen County and 2 more · forecast zone Lassen/Eastern Plumas/Eastern Sierra | 61 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $80K |
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 Plumas 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 | – | – | – | – | 77 | 218 | 140 | 142 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 14 | 47 | 29 | 41 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 0 | 12 | 37 | 13 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 4 | 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 7 | 1 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 1 | 16 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
42% 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 170 · Feb 151 · Mar 120 · Apr 75 · May 24 · Jun 19 · Jul 29 · Aug 11 · Sep 20 · Oct 31 · Nov 73 · Dec 163 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Plumas County
FEMA's register lists 23 declarations that include Plumas County: 15 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 2 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (7) and severe storm (6).
| 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 |
| 2021-08-24 | DR-4610 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2021-07-20 | FM-5400 | Fire | Dixie Fire |
| 2020-09-09 | FM-5363 | Fire | Bear Fire |
| 2020-08-22 | DR-4558 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2020-03-22 | DR-4482 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3428 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 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 |
| 2008-06-28 | EM-3287 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 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 |
| 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.
How many floods has Plumas County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 20 flood or flash flood records for Plumas County from 1997 to 2026, on 18 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Plumas County ranks 1604th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.1 million on 57 claims filed in Plumas County; the most in one year was 18 in 1997. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1986: 1 · 1993: 2 · 1994: 2 · 1995: 7 · 1996: 6 · 1997: 18 · 1999: 1 · 2000: 1 · 2004: 1 · 2005: 2 · 2017: 15 · 2019: 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 Plumas County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Plumas County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $41.1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively High | $13M | once in about 90 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | $5.1M | once in about 23 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $34K | 6.9 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $22M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $494K | 14 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $73K | 35 a year (modeled) |
| Volcanic Activity | Relatively Low | $8K | once in about 476 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $162K | 63 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 Plumas County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- 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 Plumas CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Plumas County's FEMA declarations (CSV)23 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis