Sacramento County, California
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 06067 · population 1,584,652 · 965 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 582 records for Sacramento County, California from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 321 days; the most frequent are floods and flash floods (192 records). 336 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 day on its record was June 18, 2017: excessive heat records filed for Sacramento County that day count 8 deaths across 3 records. 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
- 582on 321 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 5085 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $336Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 15strongest F2
- 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 Sacramento County most?
The most frequent records are floods and flash floods: 192 since 1996. 55% of its floods and flash floods 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | 192 | 75 | 1996-2026 | 6 | 1 | $296M | 6 of 57 |
| High wind and dust storms | 99 | 59 | 1996-2025 | 8 | 4 | $18M | 30 of 57 |
| Drought | 83 | 47 | 2014-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 of 57 |
| Heat | 68 | 48 | 1999-2024 | 15 | 33 | – | 7 of 57 |
| Extreme cold | 36 | 29 | 1998-2025 | 8 | 0 | $7.4M | 13 of 57 |
| Heavy rain | 29 | 25 | 1998-2021 | 0 | 1 | $636K | 8 of 57 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 19 | 17 | 1997-2026 | 11 | 43 | $3.9M | 16 of 57 |
| Tornadoes | 15 | 13 | 1978-2023 | 0 | 0 | $3.6M | 3 of 57 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 13 | 10 | 1973-2026 | 0 | 0 | $89K | 10 of 57 |
| Wildfires | 13 | 11 | 2014-2020 | 2 | 3 | $6.1M | 35 of 57 |
| Hail | 9 | 5 | 1959-2019 | 0 | 0 | $134K | 26 of 57 |
| Winter storms | 3 | 3 | 1996-2009 | 0 | 0 | – | 47 of 57 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 1 | 1 | 1996-1996 | 0 | 0 | – | 28 of 57 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 1 | 2023-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 42 of 57 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2000-2000 | 0 | 0 | $257K | 26 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 Sacramento County had?
NOAA records 15 tornadoes in Sacramento County from 1978 to 2023, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 3rd 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 16 tornadoes whose track touched Sacramento County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 15: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in California.
Every tornado record filed for Sacramento County (15)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-01-14 | Clay, Sacramento County | EF0 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $24K |
| 2022-11-08 | Need, Sacramento County | EF0 0.8 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-05-18 | Michigan Bar, Sacramento County | EF0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-01-11 | Del Paso Hgts, Sacramento County | EF0 0.42 mi x 130 yd | 0 | 0 | $30K |
| 2012-10-22 | Mc Connell, Sacramento County | EF1 1.02 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-02-25 | Mather Afb, Sacramento County | EF0 0.35 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $24K |
| 2007-02-25 | Elk Grove, Sacramento County | EF0 1 mi x 5 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2005-04-08 | Sacramento County | F0 0.1 mi x 0 yd | 0 | 0 | $38K |
| 2005-04-08 | Sacramento Metro Airport, Sacramento County | F0 0.1 mi x 0 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-02-21 | Sacramento County | F0 0.1 mi x 0 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-02-21 | Sacramento County | F0 0.3 mi x 0 yd | 0 | 0 | $982K |
| 1998-04-24 | Arcade, Sacramento County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $18K |
| 1988-04-19 | Sacramento County | F1 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1983-03-22 | Sacramento County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1978-02-07 | Sacramento County | F2 1.9 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K 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 Sacramento County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 11, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-21 | FloodCitrus, Sacramento County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-21 | FloodCosumne, Sacramento County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-21 | FloodFair Oaks, Sacramento County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-21 | FloodCitrus, Sacramento County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-21 | FloodWhite Rock, Sacramento County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-21 | FloodSacramento Airport, Sacramento County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-20 | FloodArcade, Sacramento County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-11 | Thunderstorm WindPolk, Sacramento County | 35 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-04-11 | Thunderstorm WindFair Oaks Phoenix Ar, Sacramento County | 35 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-04-11 | Thunderstorm WindFranklin, Sacramento County | 36 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-04-11 | FloodArcade, Sacramento County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-11 | FloodArden, Sacramento County | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| 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 | – | |
| 2024-02-04 | High WindAmador County and 6 more · forecast zone Southern Sacramento Valley Mather Field Airport reported a wind gust of 68 mph. Sacramento International Airport reported a wind gust of 64 mph. McClellan Airfield reported sustained winds of 43 mph with gusts to 59 mph, and a max gust of 66 mph. Vacaville Nut Tree Airport reported a gust of 59 mph. Numerous reports of downed power lines and ... | 59 kt wind | 2 | 0 | $376K |
| 1998-12-18 | Dense FogPlacer County and 4 more · forecast zone Southern Sacramento Valley Dense fog resulted in a 38 vehicle pileup 10 miles northwest of downtown Sacramento on Interstate 5 at 0820 PST. The crash involved 26 automobiles, 10 tractor trailers, and 2 motor homes. Interstate 5 was closed for more than 10 hours in both directions. | 1 | 10 | $905K | |
| 2021-12-02 | Dense FogPlacer County and 4 more · forecast zone Southern Sacramento Valley A 3 vehicle accident occurred around 4am on eastbound I-80 at Richard Blvd near Davis, CA. 1 fatality and 3 injuries reported. Eastbound lanes were closed for approximately 4 hours. Dense fog was in the area at the time and is speculated to be cause but still to be determined. Nearby visibility observations were ... | 1 | 3 | – | |
| 2026-01-20 | Dense FogAmador County and 6 more · forecast zone Southern Sacramento Valley A traffic collision occurred at 7:26 pm on January 20th 2026 in the south bound lanes of Highway 70 by Striplin Road in Sutter County, California. Dense fog was present in Sutter County California on Highway 70, with visibilities of a quarter mile or less. Two cars where involved in the crash, with a woman and an ... | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2014-03-29 | Strong WindPlacer County and 4 more · forecast zone Southern Sacramento Valley During a wet/rainy day, breezy winds occurred on March 29th for the Southern Sacramento Valley, where winds gusted up to around 20 mph. A driver of a sedan was killed and the passenger was injured after a large oak tree fell on their vehicle. The event occurred around 12:20pm on Sunrise Blvd near Highland Ave in ... | 17 kt wind | 1 | 2 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-01-01 | Flash FloodWilton, Sacramento County | 0 | 0 | $130M | |
| 2023-01-01 | FloodSacramento Airport, Sacramento County | 0 | 0 | $130M | |
| 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 | |
| 2006-01-01 | FloodCountywide, Sacramento County | 0 | 0 | $6.6M | |
| 1997-01-02 | Flash FloodWilton, Sacramento County | 1 | 0 | $4.4M | |
| 2014-07-04 | WildfireSacramento County and 2 more · forecast zone Carquinez Strait And Delta | 0 | 0 | $3.1M |
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: February 7, 1978 (tornado, Sacramento County); March 22, 1983 (tornado, Sacramento County); April 19, 1988 (tornado, Sacramento 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 Sacramento 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 13 | 14 | 49 | 116 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 19 | 16 | 31 | 33 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 32 | 51 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 3 | 24 | 11 | 30 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 4 | 16 | 3 | 13 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 2 | 15 | 11 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
55% of its floods and flash floods since 1996 fell in January and February. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 123 · Feb 90 · Mar 43 · Apr 46 · May 28 · Jun 32 · Jul 31 · Aug 21 · Sep 23 · Oct 32 · Nov 42 · Dec 71 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Sacramento County
FEMA's register lists 23 declarations that include Sacramento County: 17 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (9) and severe storm (7).
| 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 |
| 2017-04-01 | DR-4308 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 2017-03-16 | DR-4305 | 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 |
| 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 |
| 1989-10-18 | DR-845 | Earthquake | Loma Prieta Earthquake |
| 1986-02-21 | DR-758 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1983-02-09 | DR-677 | Coastal Storm | Coastal Storms, Floods, Slides & Tornadoes |
| 1980-02-01 | EM-3078 | Coastal Storm | Torrential Rain, High Tide & Winds |
| 1977-01-20 | EM-3023 | Drought | Drought |
| 1972-06-27 | DR-342 | Flood | Flooding Caused by Levee Break |
| 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 Sacramento County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 192 flood or flash flood records for Sacramento County from 1996 to 2026, on 75 days, with 6 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Sacramento County ranks 115th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $38.7 million on 3,864 claims filed in Sacramento County; the most in one year was 1,340 in 1995. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 10 · 1979: 3 · 1980: 32 · 1981: 6 · 1982: 64 · 1983: 67 · 1984: 2 · 1985: 1 · 1986: 257 · 1987: 4 · 1988: 2 · 1989: 2 · 1990: 5 · 1991: 8 · 1992: 32 · 1993: 94 · 1994: 31 · 1995: 1,340 · 1996: 113 · 1997: 601 · 1998: 240 · 1999: 17 · 2000: 84 · 2001: 19 · 2002: 27 · 2003: 11 · 2004: 87 · 2005: 119 · 2006: 54 · 2007: 4 · 2008: 13 · 2009: 11 · 2010: 13 · 2011: 14 · 2012: 38 · 2013: 3 · 2014: 15 · 2015: 3 · 2016: 21 · 2017: 148 · 2018: 12 · 2019: 12 · 2020: 9 · 2021: 41 · 2022: 40 · 2023: 104 · 2024: 16 · 2025: 8 · 2026: 7.
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 Sacramento County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Sacramento County Relatively High overall, with an expected annual loss of $352 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 | $14M | 63 modeled event-days a year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | $216M | 1.9 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | $108M | once in about 8 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $7.6M | 7 modeled event-days a year |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | $4.8M | once in about 291 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $2.1M | once in about 8 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $385K | 8.1 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $15K | 4.1 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Sacramento 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
- Floods in CaliforniaThe state's floods and flash floods, 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 Sacramento CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Sacramento County's FEMA declarations (CSV)23 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis