Santa Cruz County, California
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 06087 · population 270,408 · 445 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 681 records for Santa Cruz County, California from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 297 days; the most frequent are high wind and dust records (322 records). 476 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 January 14, 2024 dense fog, filed for the forecast zone San Francisco Peninsula Coast, which covers the county: 4 deaths. FEMA has issued 34 declarations naming the county since 1977, 32 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides” on April 13, 2024.
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
- 681on 297 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 6164 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $168Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 8strongest EF1
- FEMA declarations
- 34latest 2024
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 Santa Cruz County most?
The most frequent records are high wind and dust records: 322 since 1999. 55% of its high wind and dust records since 1999 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | 322 | 130 | 1999-2026 | 6 | 8 | $6.3M | 3 of 57 |
| Floods | 106 | 62 | 1996-2026 | 3 | 0 | $41M | 3 of 57 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 85 | 67 | 2006-2026 | 37 | 40 | $47M | 1 of 57 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 62 | 40 | 2005-2025 | 0 | 2 | $32M | 1 of 57 |
| Hail | 21 | 16 | 1965-2023 | 0 | 0 | $6.2M | 1 of 57 |
| Heavy rain | 21 | 16 | 1996-2019 | 4 | 3 | $14M | 6 of 57 |
| Winter storms | 15 | 9 | 2001-2023 | 0 | 0 | $19 | 32 of 57 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 12 | 11 | 2009-2024 | 4 | 0 | $34K | 13 of 57 |
| Heat | 9 | 7 | 2006-2026 | 3 | 0 | – | 31 of 57 |
| Tornadoes | 8 | 7 | 1965-2024 | 0 | 5 | $1.2M | 2 of 57 |
| Wildfires | 8 | 7 | 2017-2021 | 1 | 3 | – | 25 of 57 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 7 | 5 | 2020-2025 | 0 | 0 | $28 | 8 of 57 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 3 | 2007-2013 | 1 | 1 | $20M | 34 of 57 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 2 | 1999-2004 | 2 | 2 | $1.8M | 3 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 Santa Cruz County had?
NOAA records 8 tornadoes in Santa Cruz County from 1965 to 2024, the strongest rated EF1, with 0 deaths and 5 injuries recorded in the county. That is 2nd 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 8 tornadoes whose track touched Santa Cruz County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 8, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in California.
Every tornado record filed for Santa Cruz County (8)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-12-14 | Scotts Vly, Santa Cruz County | EF1 0.31 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 5 | $9 |
| 2019-01-06 | Santa Cruz County | EF0 0.54 mi x 7 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-01-06 | Santa Cruz County | EF0 0.07 mi x 7 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-12-22 | Ellicott, Santa Cruz County | EF0 1.07 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $694K |
| 2001-12-20 | Watsonville Municipal Arp, Santa Cruz County | F1 0.5 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $417K |
| 1998-12-05 | Santa Cruz County | F0 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $91K |
| 1986-02-03 | Santa Cruz County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1965-04-01 | Santa Cruz County | F1 0.1 mi x 100 yd | 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 Santa Cruz County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 16, 2026 high surf (1 injury).
A fisherwoman was swept to sea by a sneaker wave on the morning of June 16 near Pacifica south of the local pier, which was closed due to damage. The fisherwoman estimated that the wave dragged her around 30 feet into sea, and after several minutes, she resurfaced , and fellow anglers helped to rescue her. First responders arrived within minutes and transported her to the hospital, where she was treated for hypothermia before being released. At 8 AM local time on the day of the incident, the San Francisco buoy (46026) reported waves of 3.5 feet high, with a south-southwest swell of 3.5 feet at 14.8 seconds and westerly wind waves of 0.5 feet at 3.5 seconds. A Beach Hazards Statement was in place for long period swell resulting in an increased risk of sneaker waves.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1332356)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-16 | High SurfSan Mateo County and Santa Cruz County · forecast zone San Francisco Peninsula Coast | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2026-06-10 | High SurfSanta Cruz County · forecast zone Northern Monterey Bay | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-18 | Strong WindSan Mateo County and 2 more · forecast zone Santa Cruz Mountains | 46 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10 |
| 2026-05-17 | High WindSan Mateo County and 2 more · forecast zone Santa Cruz Mountains | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-17 | High WindSan Mateo County and 2 more · forecast zone Santa Cruz Mountains | 75 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-16 | Strong WindSan Mateo County and Santa Cruz County · forecast zone San Francisco Peninsula Coast | 45 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10 |
| 2026-03-19 | HeatSanta Cruz County · forecast zone Northern Monterey Bay | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-17 | HeatSan Mateo County and 2 more · forecast zone Santa Cruz Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-17 | HeatSan Mateo County and Santa Cruz County · forecast zone San Francisco Peninsula Coast | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-11 | High WindSan Mateo County and 2 more · forecast zone Santa Cruz Mountains | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-06 | High SurfSanta Cruz County · forecast zone Northern Monterey Bay | 0 | 6 | – | |
| 2026-02-06 | High SurfSanta Cruz County · forecast zone Northern Monterey Bay | 0 | 2 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-01-14 | Dense FogSan Mateo County and Santa Cruz County · forecast zone San Francisco Peninsula Coast A small plane with four people onboard crashed near Moss Beach in San Mateo County, around 1 mile southwest of Half Moon Bay Airport, on January 14 at 7:34 PM. Witnesses saw the plane sputtering before the crash. Wreckage from the plane was found near Ross Cove. Search efforts for survivors continued until 11 AM the ... | 4 | 0 | – | |
| 2017-09-01 | Excessive HeatSan Mateo County and Santa Cruz County · forecast zone San Francisco Peninsula Coast Three San Mateo county residents died over the weekend as a result of the heat. Http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-six-deaths-heat-wave-bay-area-20170908-story.html. Http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Death-toll-from-Bay-Area-heat-wave-hits-6-12180514.php. | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2013-06-30 | SneakerwaveSanta Cruz County · forecast zone Northern Monterey Bay Four people were swept into the ocean by a sneaker wave at Bonny Doon Beach in Santa Cruz County. Two of the men reached nearby rocks and were rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter. The two women died as a result of drowning. | 2 | 2 | – | |
| 1999-10-28 | Storm Surge/TideCapitola, Santa Cruz County 15 foot swell in association with a relatively high tide produced waves as high as 40 feet which broke trough the seawall in Capitola and flooded low lying streets and businesses. A number of boats were ripped from their moorings and washed ashore or sunk. A 20 male surfer was drowned when he was caught in the huge ... | 2 | 2 | $1.8M | |
| 2026-06-10 | High SurfSanta Cruz County · forecast zone Northern Monterey Bay Two women from Fremont died after being swept out to sea on June 10 at Yellowbank Beach, also known as Hole in the Wall Beach, around 2 miles southeast of Davenport. The women were believed to be swimming when an incoming tide caught them unaware. Rescue swimmers were called out and pull them onto the shore. One was ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-19 | SneakerwaveSanta Cruz County · forecast zone Northern Monterey Bay A father and son from San Jose perished at Cowell Ranch State Beach after the son was swept into the ocean by a sneaker wave. State park lifeguards and rangers responded to the water rescue and pulled the two into a Harbor Patrol vessel. The two were taken to Stanford Medical Center, where they died. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-07-16 | SneakerwaveSanta Cruz County · forecast zone Northern Monterey Bay A sneaker wave killed a couple from San Jose who were standing along West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz. The couple stood on a rock to take pictures when the wave hit the rock. A rescue swimmer pulled the victims onto a boat, but was unable to revive the couple. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2016-01-16 | High SurfSanta Cruz County · forecast zone Northern Monterey Bay Five people were swept into the ocean by a 15-foot wave around 5 pm PST on Monday, January 18, 2016 at Bonny Doon Beach in Santa Cruz County. Three were able to climb out of the water and were later rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard while two remained missing and were presumed dead. | 2 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-03-11 | TsunamiSanta Cruz County · forecast zone Northern Monterey Bay | 0 | 0 | $35M | |
| 2011-03-24 | Flash FloodSoquel, Santa Cruz County | 0 | 0 | $20M | |
| 2007-01-06 | Frost/FreezeMonterey County and 2 more · forecast zone Monterey Bay/N Salinas Valley/Hollister Valley/Carmel Valley | 0 | 0 | $20M | |
| 2006-04-04 | Debris FlowSan Mateo County and 2 more · forecast zone Santa Cruz Mountains | 0 | 0 | $19M | |
| 2011-03-24 | Heavy RainCliffside, Santa Cruz County | 0 | 0 | $13M | |
| 2006-04-01 | Debris FlowSan Mateo County and Santa Cruz County · forecast zone San Francisco Peninsula Coast | 0 | 0 | $10M | |
| 2022-01-15 | TsunamiSanta Cruz County · forecast zone Northern Monterey Bay | 0 | 0 | $6.6M | |
| 2009-10-13 | Flash FloodCorralitos, Santa Cruz County | 0 | 0 | $4.1M |
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 $3K, in the dollars of the day) holds: February 3, 1986 (tornado, Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 1 | 39 | 189 z | 93 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 17 | 13 | 39 | 37 |
| Rip currents and high surf | – | – | – | – | 0 | 7 | 29 z | 49 |
| Landslides and avalanches | – | – | – | – | 0 | 5 | 51 | 6 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 7 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 2 | 2 | 17 | 0 |
High wind and dust storms in the 2010s: 189 records against 39 in the decade before, 189 of them forecast-zone records. Rip currents and high surf in the 2010s: 29 records against 7 in the decade before, 29 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 Santa Cruz 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?
55% of its high wind and dust records since 1999 fell in January and February. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 200 · Feb 157 · Mar 59 · Apr 29 · May 12 · Jun 6 · Jul 5 · Aug 6 · Sep 18 · Oct 21 · Nov 50 · Dec 118 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Santa Cruz County
FEMA's register lists 34 declarations that include Santa Cruz County: 22 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 6 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (9) and fire (9).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-04-13 | DR-4769 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 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 |
| 2020-08-22 | DR-4558 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2020-08-20 | FM-5336 | Fire | Czu Lightning Fire Complex |
| 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 |
| 2011-04-18 | DR-1968 | Tsunami | Tsunami Waves |
| 2009-08-13 | FM-2824 | Fire | Lockheed Fire |
| 2008-06-28 | EM-3287 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2008-06-20 | FM-2775 | Fire | Trabing Fire |
| 2008-06-11 | FM-2772 | Fire | Martin Fire |
| 2008-05-22 | FM-2766 | Fire | Summit 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 |
| 2002-09-25 | FM-2465 | Fire | Croy Fire |
| 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 |
| 1991-02-11 | DR-894 | Freezing | Severe Freeze |
| 1989-10-18 | DR-845 | Earthquake | Loma Prieta Earthquake |
| 1986-02-21 | DR-758 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1985-07-18 | DR-739 | Fire | Grass, Wildlands, & Forest Fires |
| 1983-02-09 | DR-677 | Coastal Storm | Coastal Storms, Floods, Slides & Tornadoes |
| 1982-01-07 | DR-651 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flood, Mudslides & High Tide |
| 1980-02-21 | DR-615 | Flood | Severe Storms, Mudslides & Flooding |
| 1977-01-20 | EM-3023 | Drought | Drought |
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 Santa Cruz County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 106 flood or flash flood records for Santa Cruz County from 1996 to 2026, on 62 days, with 3 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Santa Cruz County ranks 226th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $24.9 million on 1,633 claims filed in Santa Cruz County; the most in one year was 292 in 1998. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 17 · 1979: 3 · 1980: 40 · 1981: 32 · 1982: 207 · 1983: 180 · 1984: 2 · 1985: 3 · 1986: 68 · 1987: 2 · 1988: 1 · 1989: 14 · 1991: 3 · 1992: 13 · 1993: 7 · 1994: 2 · 1995: 94 · 1996: 33 · 1997: 27 · 1998: 292 · 1999: 9 · 2000: 36 · 2001: 10 · 2002: 20 · 2003: 8 · 2004: 8 · 2005: 20 · 2006: 11 · 2008: 9 · 2009: 2 · 2010: 6 · 2011: 29 · 2012: 16 · 2013: 2 · 2014: 8 · 2015: 2 · 2016: 23 · 2017: 102 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 4 · 2021: 7 · 2022: 97 · 2023: 155 · 2024: 7 · 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 Santa Cruz County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Santa Cruz County Relatively High overall, with an expected annual loss of $335 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 | $18M | 38 modeled event-days a year |
| Landslide | Relatively High | $2.1M | 6.5 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | $190M | once in about 6 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | $105M | 1.6 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | $9.0M | once in about 223 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $2.5M | 5.4 modeled event-days a year |
| Tsunami | Relatively Moderate | $7.6M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $353K | 4.2 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 Santa Cruz 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
- High wind and dust storms in CaliforniaThe state's high wind and dust 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 Santa Cruz CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Santa Cruz County's FEMA declarations (CSV)34 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis