Trinity County, California
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 06105 · population 15,882 · 3,179 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 517 records for Trinity County, California from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 264 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (366 records). 445 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 June 7, 2004 high surf, filed for the forecast zone North Coast Interior, which covers the county: 3 deaths. FEMA has issued 32 declarations naming the county since 1964, 30 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
- 517on 264 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 40 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $134Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- FEMA declarations
- 32latest 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 Trinity County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 366 since 1996. 47% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in February and March. 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 | 366 | 166 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $24K | 24 of 57 |
| High wind and dust storms | 47 | 38 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | 56 of 57 |
| Heavy rain | 36 | 24 | 2017-2025 | 0 | 0 | $5.7M | 39 of 57 |
| Hail | 21 | 19 | 1987-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 20 of 57 |
| Wildfires | 17 | 12 | 1999-2021 | 0 | 0 | $82M | 47 of 57 |
| Floods | 11 | 8 | 1996-2022 | 1 | 0 | $13M | 56 of 57 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 3 | 1998-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 48 of 57 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 4 | 2 | 1998-2002 | 0 | 0 | – | 53 of 57 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 3 | 3 | 2004-2019 | 3 | 0 | – | 32 of 57 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 3 | 2 | 2005-2023 | 0 | 0 | $32M | 45 of 57 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 3 | 3 | 1992-2021 | 0 | 0 | $33K | 52 of 57 |
| Heat | 2 | 1 | 2002-2002 | 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.
When was the last damaging storm in Trinity County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 1, 2025 high wind ($15,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-21 | Heavy RainBig Bar, Trinity County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-30 | HailTrinity Center, Trinity County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-01 | High WindTrinity County · forecast zone Northern Trinity | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2025-07-01 | Strong WindTrinity County · forecast zone Northern Trinity | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-07-01 | High WindTrinity County · forecast zone Northern Trinity | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-01 | High WindTrinity County · forecast zone Northern Trinity | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-02-14 | Heavy RainDel Loma, Trinity County | 0 | 0 | $400 | |
| 2025-02-13 | Winter WeatherTrinity County · forecast zone Northern Trinity | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-13 | Heavy RainBig Bar, Trinity County | 0 | 0 | $400 | |
| 2025-02-13 | Heavy RainBig Bar, Trinity County | 0 | 0 | $1K | |
| 2025-02-13 | Winter WeatherTrinity County · forecast zone Southern Trinity | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-13 | Heavy RainBurnt Ranch, Trinity County | 0 | 0 | $4K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-06-07 | High SurfDel Norte County and 2 more · forecast zone North Coast Interior Between 8 am and 7 pm a boat was sunk after being struck by a series of waves. The nearest buoy (46027) reported wave heights of 6.9 to 8.5 feet at 11 seconds. One female survivor swam to a near by off shore rock and spent the night. | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 1996-12-30 | FloodHumboldt County and 2 more · forecast zone Upper Trinity River Flooding reported along Canyon Creek and the Trinity River near Junction City. Flooded also near Carrville and Weaverville. The driver of a car swept into Swift Creek at Trinity Center was washed away and drowned when he tried to exit the vehicle. | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-09-01 | WildfireTrinity County · forecast zone Southern Trinity | 0 | 0 | $31M | |
| 2005-12-28 | Debris FlowDel Norte County and 2 more · forecast zone North Coast Interior | 0 | 0 | $26M | |
| 2021-10-01 | WildfireTrinity County · forecast zone Northern Trinity | 0 | 0 | $23M | |
| 2021-10-01 | WildfireTrinity County · forecast zone Northern Trinity | 0 | 0 | $20M | |
| 1997-01-01 | FloodHumboldt County and 2 more · forecast zone Upper Trinity River | 0 | 0 | $9.2M | |
| 2001-08-28 | WildfireWeaverville, Trinity County | 0 | 0 | $5.8M | |
| 2005-12-28 | Debris FlowHumboldt County and 2 more · forecast zone Upper Trinity River | 0 | 0 | $5.4M | |
| 2017-02-09 | Heavy RainHyampom, Trinity County | 0 | 0 | $4.8M |
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 Trinity 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 | – | – | – | – | 46 | 42 | 128 z | 150 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 22 | 11 | 4 | 10 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 12 | 24 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 2 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 3 | 5 | 0 | 9 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 8 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Winter storms in the 2010s: 128 records against 42 in the decade before, 128 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 Trinity 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?
47% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in February and March. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 98 · Feb 109 · Mar 105 · Apr 25 · May 3 · Jun 7 · Jul 18 · Aug 12 · Sep 7 · Oct 9 · Nov 30 · Dec 94 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Trinity County
FEMA's register lists 32 declarations that include Trinity County: 21 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 5 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (9) and flood (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 |
| 2021-08-24 | DR-4610 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2021-08-17 | FM-5412 | Fire | Monument 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 |
| 2019-05-17 | DR-4434 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2019-05-01 | DR-4431 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2018-07-23 | FM-5259 | Fire | Carr Fire |
| 2017-09-01 | FM-5199 | Fire | Helena Fire |
| 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 |
| 2014-08-25 | FM-5076 | Fire | Oregon Fire |
| 2008-06-28 | EM-3287 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2006-07-30 | FM-2662 | Fire | Junction Fire |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 1993-02-03 | DR-979 | Flood | Severe Winter Storm, Mud & Land Slides, & Flooding |
| 1986-02-21 | DR-758 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1983-02-09 | DR-677 | Coastal Storm | Coastal Storms, Floods, Slides & Tornadoes |
| 1977-01-20 | EM-3023 | Drought | Drought |
| 1974-01-25 | DR-412 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1970-02-16 | DR-283 | 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 Trinity County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 11 flood or flash flood records for Trinity County from 1996 to 2022, on 8 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Trinity County ranks 2046th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $73,000 on 23 claims filed in Trinity County; the most in one year was 10 in 1996. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1986: 1 · 1995: 4 · 1996: 10 · 1997: 4 · 1998: 2 · 2005: 1 · 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 Trinity County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Trinity County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $29.1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively High | $730K | 18 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively High | $13M | once in about 39 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $13M | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $2.0M | once in about 29 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $161K | 4.8 modeled event-days a year |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | $14 | once in about 833 years (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Very Low | $630 | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Very Low | $27K | 9.6 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 Trinity 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 Trinity CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Trinity County's FEMA declarations (CSV)32 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis