San Francisco County, California
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 06075 · population 873,808 · 47 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 307 records for San Francisco County, California from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 185 days; the most frequent are floods and flash floods (113 records). 170 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 September 1, 2017 excessive heat, filed for the forecast zone San Francisco, which covers the county: 3 deaths. FEMA has issued 11 declarations naming the county since 1989, 9 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
- 307on 185 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 2059 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $42Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- FEMA declarations
- 11latest 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 San Francisco County most?
The most frequent records are floods and flash floods: 113 since 1996. 56% of its floods and flash floods since 1996 fell in December and January. Census land area gives no figure for San Francisco County under this code, so it carries no per-area rank.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | 113 | 67 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 2 | $13M | – |
| High wind and dust storms | 95 | 57 | 1998-2026 | 2 | 9 | $4.1M | – |
| Rip currents and high surf | 33 | 30 | 2009-2026 | 11 | 10 | $25M | – |
| Heavy rain | 15 | 12 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $13K | – |
| Hail | 10 | 10 | 2017-2023 | 0 | 0 | $82 | – |
| Winter storms | 9 | 9 | 1996-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Heat | 8 | 6 | 2000-2026 | 4 | 30 | – | – |
| Lightning | 7 | 5 | 2009-2018 | 0 | 0 | $165K | – |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 6 | 5 | 2018-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 6 | 6 | 1982-2024 | 1 | 4 | $19 | – |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 2 | 2009-2021 | 0 | 3 | $89K | – |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | 2020-2020 | 1 | 0 | – | – |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 1 | 2019-2019 | 1 | 0 | – | – |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2020-2020 | 0 | 1 | – | – |
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 San Francisco County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 28, 2026 strong wind.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-28 | Strong WindSan Francisco County · forecast zone San Francisco | 20 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10 |
| 2026-06-18 | High SurfSan Francisco County · forecast zone San Francisco | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2026-05-29 | SneakerwaveSan Francisco County · forecast zone San Francisco | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2026-03-20 | HeatSan Francisco County · forecast zone San Francisco | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-03 | Coastal FloodSan Francisco County · forecast zone San Francisco | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-03 | Coastal FloodSan Francisco County · forecast zone San Francisco | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-25 | FloodOcean View, San Francisco County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-22 | FloodSan Francisco County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-17 | Heavy RainSan Francisco County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-13 | Strong WindSan Francisco County · forecast zone San Francisco | 13 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10 |
| 2025-05-08 | High SurfSan Francisco County · forecast zone San Francisco | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-13 | FloodOcean View, San Francisco 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-09-01 | Excessive HeatSan Francisco County · forecast zone San Francisco Three San Francisco residents died over the weekend as a result of the heat. Http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Death-toll-from-Bay-Area-heat-wave-hits-6-12180514.php. Http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-six-deaths-heat-wave-bay-area-20170908-story.html. | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-05-23 | High SurfSan Francisco County · forecast zone San Francisco A severely damaged thirty foot sailing vessel was found abandoned by its occupants near Seal Rocks, San Francisco, California. The vessel had water in it and all of the windows had been blown out as if hit by a large wave. The couple who were on board perished in the accident. | 2 | 0 | $34K | |
| 2023-03-21 | Strong WindSan Francisco County · forecast zone San Francisco Two people were injured when a tree fell on them near Post and Polk in the Nob Hill neighborhood of San Francisco. They were taken to the hospital where one of the people died. | 20 kt wind | 1 | 1 | – |
| 2025-05-08 | High SurfSan Francisco County · forecast zone San Francisco An ocean rescue was reported just after 2:00 PM on Thursday, May 8th, 2025 at Ocean Beach in San Francisco. A fully clothed man went into the Pacific Ocean after a dog and suddenly collapsed at the surfline. Two women reportedly pulled him out of the water and called 911. The man was transported to the hospital where ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2023-03-21 | Strong WindSan Francisco County · forecast zone San Francisco A tree fell on a jogger at 23rd Avenue and Lincoln Way in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. The jogger was sent to the San Francisco General Hospital, where they were pronounced dead. | 17 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2023-01-14 | Thunderstorm WindCrissy Aaf, San Francisco County A jogger near the intersection of JFK Drive and 30th Avenue within the Golden Gate Park noticed a woman down next to a fallen tree branch. Firefighters arrived to provide life-saving measures, but said that the victim had died. At the time of the incident, a Special Weather Statement was valid for the area, with wind ... | 13 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2020-11-15 | Storm Surge/TideSan Francisco County · forecast zone San Francisco A person fell into the waters near San Francisco's Sutro Baths Sunday morning and drowned. Rough surf and unusually high tides made for difficult search conditions https://www.lmtonline.com/bayarea/article/Body-reported-at-San-Francisco-s-Sutro-Baths-15728843.php. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2020-07-01 | Rip CurrentSan Francisco County · forecast zone San Francisco A swimmer drowned at China Beach on the morning of July 1st. The man was rescued that afternoon with rescue personnel performing CPR but could not be resuscitated https://sfist.com/2020/07/02/67-year-old-ocean-swimmer-dies-near-china-beach/. Timing is approximate. | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-01-20 | High SurfSan Francisco County · forecast zone San Francisco | 0 | 0 | $24M | |
| 2001-01-11 | FloodSan Francisco County · forecast zone San Francisco | 0 | 0 | $8.3M | |
| 2004-02-25 | FloodSan Francisco County · forecast zone San Francisco County | 0 | 0 | $4.7M | |
| 2002-11-07 | High WindSan Francisco County · forecast zone San Francisco | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.6M |
| 2010-01-20 | High SurfSan Francisco County · forecast zone San Francisco | 0 | 0 | $336K | |
| 2010-12-29 | Strong WindSan Francisco County · forecast zone San Francisco | 45 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $47K |
| 2010-05-23 | High SurfSan Francisco County · forecast zone San Francisco | 2 | 0 | $34K | |
| 2024-12-14 | Thunderstorm WindCrissy Aaf, San Francisco County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $19 |
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 San Francisco 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 | – | – | – | – | 7 | 7 | 67 | 32 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 22 | 35 | 32 |
| Rip currents and high surf | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 14 | 18 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 2 | 1 | 9 | 3 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
56% of its floods and flash floods since 1996 fell in December and January. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 73 · Feb 49 · Mar 26 · Apr 20 · May 11 · Jun 15 · Jul 2 · Aug 5 · Sep 10 · Oct 11 · Nov 31 · Dec 54 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for San Francisco County
FEMA's register lists 11 declarations that include San Francisco County: 7 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (4) and flood (3).
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 1989-10-18 | DR-845 | Earthquake | Loma Prieta Earthquake |
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 San Francisco County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 113 flood or flash flood records for San Francisco County from 1996 to 2026, on 67 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), San Francisco County ranks 1098th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.9 million on 147 claims filed in San Francisco County; the most in one year was 45 in 1982. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 24 · 1979: 8 · 1980: 14 · 1981: 9 · 1982: 45 · 1983: 13 · 1985: 1 · 1986: 13 · 2005: 1 · 2011: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2019: 5 · 2022: 4 · 2023: 3 · 2024: 4 · 2025: 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 San Francisco County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates San Francisco County Very High overall, with an expected annual loss of $853 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake | Very High | $662M | once in about 10 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | $178M | 1.6 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively High | $829K | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $4.7M | 3.5 modeled event-days a year |
| Tsunami | Relatively Moderate | $6.0M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $488K | 26 modeled event-days a year |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $638K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $652K | once in about 74 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with San Francisco County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- 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 San Francisco CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download San Francisco County's FEMA declarations (CSV)11 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis