Sonoma County, California
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 06097 · population 488,330 · 1,575 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,017 records for Sonoma County, California from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 397 days; the most frequent are high wind and dust records (406 records). 593 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. NOAA records 339 flood or flash floods there since 1996, with 7 deaths; its 7,403 flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA) rank 68th of 2,942 U.S. counties. The deadliest single record is the November 2, 2024 strong wind, filed for the forecast zone Coastal North Bay Including Point Reyes National Seashore, which covers the county: 5 deaths and 1 injury. FEMA has issued 36 declarations naming the county since 1964, 33 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
- 1,017on 397 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 70111 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $462Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 13strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 36latest 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 Sonoma County most?
The most frequent records are high wind and dust records: 406 since 1996. 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 | 406 | 177 | 1996-2026 | 16 | 12 | $21M | 14 of 57 |
| Floods | 339 | 117 | 1996-2026 | 7 | 4 | $334M | 7 of 57 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 68 | 33 | 2006-2025 | 1 | 0 | $69M | 9 of 57 |
| Heat | 33 | 26 | 1996-2026 | 11 | 46 | $19 | 29 of 57 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 28 | 19 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 4 | $129K | 24 of 57 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 27 | 26 | 2008-2025 | 25 | 5 | $101K | 9 of 57 |
| Wildfires | 27 | 24 | 2013-2025 | 3 | 14 | $646K | 27 of 57 |
| Heavy rain | 24 | 20 | 1996-2024 | 4 | 4 | $27M | 24 of 57 |
| Hail | 21 | 12 | 2003-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 16 of 57 |
| Extreme cold | 17 | 12 | 2007-2023 | 1 | 5 | $4.3M | 32 of 57 |
| Tornadoes | 13 | 11 | 1958-2011 | 0 | 1 | $3.1M | 11 of 57 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 5 | 5 | 2004-2011 | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | 5 of 57 |
| Winter storms | 5 | 4 | 2001-2011 | 2 | 15 | $82K | 51 of 57 |
| Lightning | 3 | 3 | 2001-2020 | 0 | 1 | $1.7M | 20 of 57 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 1 | 2020-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 53 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 Sonoma County had?
NOAA records 13 tornadoes in Sonoma County from 1958 to 2011, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 1 injury recorded in the county. That is 11th 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 13 tornadoes whose track touched Sonoma County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 13, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in California.
Every tornado record filed for Sonoma County (13)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-03-18 | Santa Rosa, Sonoma County | EF1 0.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $66K |
| 2005-01-27 | Jenner, Sonoma County | F1 0.5 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $227K |
| 2004-12-29 | Santa Rosa, Sonoma County | F0 0.2 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 1998-12-05 | Santa Rosa, Sonoma County | F1 1.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.8M |
| 1996-12-23 | Sonoma County | F0 0.3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 1 | $2K |
| 1996-02-22 | Larkfield, Sonoma County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-12-02 | Sonoma County | F1 3 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1992-12-02 | Sonoma County | F1 1 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1992-12-02 | Sonoma County | F1 7.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1983-02-27 | Sonoma County | F1 0.8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1964-11-10 | Sonoma County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1959-02-17 | Sonoma County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1958-06-01 | Sonoma County | F2 15 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K 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 Sonoma County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 17, 2026 strong wind.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-18 | High WindNapa County and Sonoma County · forecast zone North Bay Interior Mountains | 63 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | High WindNapa County and Sonoma County · forecast zone North Bay Interior Mountains | 63 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | High WindNapa County and Sonoma County · forecast zone North Bay Interior Mountains | 58 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-17 | Strong WindMarin County and Sonoma County · forecast zone Coastal North Bay Including Point Reyes National Seashore | 40 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10 |
| 2026-05-17 | Strong WindMarin County and 2 more · forecast zone North Bay Interior Valleys | 30 kt wind | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2026-05-17 | Strong WindMarin County and 2 more · forecast zone North Bay Interior Valleys | 26 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-16 | High WindMarin County and Sonoma County · forecast zone Coastal North Bay Including Point Reyes National Seashore | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-16 | Strong WindMarin County and Sonoma County · forecast zone Coastal North Bay Including Point Reyes National Seashore | 45 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10 |
| 2026-03-21 | Strong WindMarin County and Sonoma County · forecast zone Coastal North Bay Including Point Reyes National Seashore | 26 kt wind | 1 | 1 | – |
| 2026-03-20 | HeatMarin County and 2 more · forecast zone North Bay Interior Valleys | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-20 | HeatMarin County and 2 more · forecast zone North Bay Interior Valleys | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-19 | HeatNapa County and Sonoma County · forecast zone North Bay Interior Mountains | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11-02 | Strong WindMarin County and Sonoma County · forecast zone Coastal North Bay Including Point Reyes National Seashore The Coast Guard received a report about six people on an overdue boat near Bodega Bay at 11:40 PM Saturday from the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office. The boaters departed Westside Marina on a 21-foot long blue and white vessel at 3 PM and were expected back by 7 PM. A 13-year old boy was found alive off South Salmon ... | 27 kt wind | 5 | 1 | – |
| 2010-07-14 | High SurfMarin County and Sonoma County · forecast zone Coastal North Bay Including Point Reyes National Seashore A 24-foot motorized fishing boat capsized in the six to eight foot surf about one mile offshore of Ten Mile Beach, also known as The Great Beach, north of Point Reyes. The four fishermen aboard lost their lives as they were thrown into the frigid water. None of them were wearing life vests. Also, the boat was totally ... | 4 | 0 | $27K | |
| 1996-08-15 | HeatMarin County and Sonoma County · forecast zone Sonoma/Marin Counties A week-long stretch of temperatures over 100 degrees, topping at 110 degrees for two days, combined with higher-than-normal relative humidities led to 4 heat-related deaths in Kern County. | 4 | 0 | – | |
| 2000-06-14 | HeatMarin County and 2 more · forecast zone Alameda / Contra Costa This unusual early summer record breaking heat wave was responsible for 10 deaths in the Bay Area and a large number of heat related injuries. Temperature record of 103 degrees in San Francisco tied the all time record high temperature. Other record highs for the day were Livermore had 107 degrees, Oakland 106 ... | 3 | 15 | – | |
| 2020-08-17 | WildfireMarin County and 2 more · forecast zone North Bay Mountains A second round of thunderstorms moved through the region into the morning of August 17th producing additional lightning strikes over the Bay Area. On the early morning of the 17th lightning produced a fire in Napa County that became the Hennessey Fire. Eventually, this fire merged with several other fires across Napa, ... | 3 | 5 | – | |
| 2021-01-03 | High SurfMarin County and Sonoma County · forecast zone Coastal North Bay Including Point Reyes National Seashore A family of four was pulled into the ocean at Blind Beach in Sonoma County while playing near the water by a large wave. The mother was able to get out, but the father and two children did not make it https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/father-drowns-trying-to-save-his-children-at-sonoma-county-beach/. | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2006-03-11 | Winter WeatherMarin County and Sonoma County · forecast zone Coastal North Bay Including Point Reyes National Seashore A sudden, brief snow shower coated Highway 101 just north of the Golden Gate Bridge with ice and slushy snow. A chain reaction accident occurred, involving 28 vehicles creating a monstrous pileup - killing 2 people and injuring more than a dozen. The pileup scattered wreckage 350 to 400 feet along the road. | 2 | 15 | – | |
| 2012-12-28 | SneakerwaveMarin County and Sonoma County · forecast zone Coastal North Bay Including Point Reyes National Seashore A pair of fishermen, father and son, and a friend were fishing on rocks near the Golden Gate Bridge. A large sneaker wave swept them off the rocks and into the ocean. The friend was able to swim back to shore and contacted authorities. A Tiburon Fire Department boat found the bodies of the father and son about 100 ... | 2 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-12-31 | FloodCountywide, Sonoma County | 0 | 0 | $162M | |
| 2006-01-01 | FloodCountywide, Sonoma County | 0 | 0 | $157M | |
| 2006-04-01 | Debris FlowMarin County and 2 more · forecast zone North Bay Interior Valleys | 1 | 0 | $50M | |
| 2011-06-04 | Heavy RainAnnapolis, Sonoma County | 0 | 0 | $26M | |
| 2006-04-02 | Debris FlowMarin County and 2 more · forecast zone North Bay Mountains | 0 | 0 | $17M | |
| 1998-02-03 | Flash FloodRio Nido, Sonoma County | 0 | 0 | $9.1M | |
| 2001-11-24 | High WindMarin County and Sonoma County · forecast zone Sonoma / Marin | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5.0M |
| 2007-01-06 | Frost/FreezeMarin County and 2 more · forecast zone North Bay Interior Valleys | 0 | 0 | $4.3M |
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: December 2, 1992 (tornado, Sonoma 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 Sonoma 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 | – | – | – | – | 9 | 70 | 202 | 125 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 14 | 13 | 225 | 87 |
| Landslides and avalanches | – | – | – | – | 0 | 2 | 64 | 2 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 1 | 8 | 2 | 22 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | 23 | 4 |
| Rip currents and high surf | – | – | – | – | 0 | 3 | 16 | 8 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Sonoma County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 210 · Feb 265 · Mar 70 · Apr 42 · May 27 · Jun 21 · Jul 15 · Aug 9 · Sep 22 · Oct 56 · Nov 112 · Dec 168 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Sonoma County
FEMA's register lists 36 declarations that include Sonoma County: 23 major disasters, 5 emergencies and 8 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (11) and severe storm (9).
| 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 |
| 2020-10-16 | DR-4569 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2020-09-27 | FM-5376 | Fire | Glass Fire |
| 2020-08-22 | DR-4558 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2020-08-18 | FM-5331 | Fire | Lnu Lightning Fire Complex |
| 2020-03-22 | DR-4482 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3428 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-10-24 | FM-5295 | Fire | Kincade Fire |
| 2019-05-17 | DR-4434 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2017-10-10 | DR-4344 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2017-10-09 | FM-5215 | Fire | Tubbs Fire |
| 2017-10-09 | FM-5220 | Fire | Nuns Fire |
| 2017-10-09 | FM-5222 | Fire | Partrick Fire |
| 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 |
| 2015-09-13 | FM-5112 | Fire | Valley 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 |
| 2004-09-04 | FM-2554 | Fire | Ca-Geysers Fire-09-04-2004 |
| 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 |
| 1994-09-13 | DR-1038 | Fishing Losses | The El Nino (the Salmon Industry) |
| 1993-02-03 | DR-979 | Flood | Severe Winter Storm, Mud & Land Slides, & Flooding |
| 1991-02-11 | DR-894 | Freezing | Severe Freeze |
| 1986-02-21 | DR-758 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1983-02-09 | DR-677 | Coastal Storm | Coastal Storms, Floods, Slides & Tornadoes |
| 1982-01-07 | DR-651 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flood, Mudslides & High Tide |
| 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 Sonoma County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 339 flood or flash flood records for Sonoma County from 1996 to 2026, on 117 days, with 7 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Sonoma County ranks 68th of 2,942 U.S. counties. The 100 counties with the most claims
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $132 million on 7,403 claims filed in Sonoma County; the most in one year was 1,731 in 1995. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 170 · 1979: 17 · 1980: 152 · 1981: 269 · 1982: 242 · 1983: 528 · 1984: 4 · 1985: 11 · 1986: 920 · 1987: 7 · 1988: 1 · 1989: 2 · 1990: 2 · 1991: 25 · 1992: 8 · 1993: 102 · 1994: 6 · 1995: 1,731 · 1996: 241 · 1997: 714 · 1998: 388 · 1999: 11 · 2000: 5 · 2001: 15 · 2002: 56 · 2003: 9 · 2004: 37 · 2005: 524 · 2006: 162 · 2007: 1 · 2008: 19 · 2010: 4 · 2011: 4 · 2012: 8 · 2014: 33 · 2015: 1 · 2016: 5 · 2017: 121 · 2018: 4 · 2019: 735 · 2021: 5 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 38 · 2024: 33 · 2025: 29 · 2026: 3; 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 Sonoma County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Sonoma County Relatively High overall, with an expected annual loss of $605 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively High | $5.0M | 67 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | $284M | once in about 9 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively High | $14M | 33 modeled event-days a year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | $280M | 2.5 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively High | $17M | once in about 258 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $3.0M | 7 modeled event-days a year |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $1.1M | 3.4 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $341K | 3.7 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 Sonoma 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 Sonoma CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Sonoma County's FEMA declarations (CSV)36 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis