Ventura County, California
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 06111 · population 843,136 · 1,841 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 685 records for Ventura County, California from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 426 days; the most frequent are high wind and dust records (305 records). 516 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 November 8, 2018 wildfire, filed for the forecast zone Ventura County Coast, which covers the county: 3 deaths. FEMA has issued 53 declarations naming the county since 1965, 51 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Sandy Fire” on May 18, 2026.
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
- 685on 426 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 1346 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $592Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 8strongest EF0
- FEMA declarations
- 53latest 2026
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 Ventura County most?
The most frequent records are high wind and dust records: 305 since 1996. 42% of its high wind and dust records since 1996 fell in December and January. 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 | 305 | 196 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | – | 15 of 57 |
| Winter storms | 113 | 90 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | – | 25 of 57 |
| Floods | 103 | 67 | 1998-2026 | 1 | 2 | $12M | 15 of 57 |
| Wildfires | 44 | 31 | 1996-2026 | 6 | 33 | $26M | 24 of 57 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 32 | 32 | 1997-2022 | 4 | 8 | $203K | 7 of 57 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 21 | 10 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2K | 20 of 57 |
| Heat | 17 | 7 | 1997-2008 | 0 | 0 | – | 44 of 57 |
| Heavy rain | 12 | 9 | 1997-2012 | 0 | 0 | $287M | 45 of 57 |
| Tornadoes | 8 | 8 | 1982-2025 | 0 | 0 | $13K | 20 of 57 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 7 | 5 | 2014-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 33 of 57 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 3 | 1998-2007 | 0 | 0 | $267M | 43 of 57 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 6 | 6 | 1999-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 43 of 57 |
| Hail | 5 | 5 | 1987-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 44 of 57 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 4 | 1 | 1997-1997 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 of 57 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 2000-2011 | 0 | 3 | – | 24 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 Ventura County had?
NOAA records 8 tornadoes in Ventura County from 1982 to 2025, the strongest rated EF0, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 20th 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 Ventura 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 Ventura County (8)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-02-13 | Oxnard, Ventura County | EF0 0.63 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-12-25 | Ventura County | EF0 0.84 mi x 7 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-01-21 | Montalvo, Ventura County | EF0 1.51 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-01-24 | Pt Mugu Nas, Ventura County | EF0 0.1 mi x 5 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-01-10 | El Rio, Ventura County | F0 0.1 mi x 1 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-05-13 | Camarillo Airport, Ventura County | F0 0.1 mi x 8 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-12-07 | Ventura County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1982-11-09 | Ventura County | F0 0.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K 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 Ventura County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the October 14, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-18 | WildfireVentura County · forecast zone Southest Ventura County Valleys | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-03 | High WindLos Angeles County and Ventura County · forecast zone Santa Susana Mountains | 66 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-05 | High WindLos Angeles County and Ventura County · forecast zone Santa Susana Mountains | 63 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-17 | Winter StormVentura County · forecast zone Northern Ventura County Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-17 | Thunderstorm WindSanta Susana, Ventura County | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-17 | Thunderstorm WindCavin, Ventura County | 62 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-17 | Thunderstorm WindSeacliff, Ventura County | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-17 | Thunderstorm WindLimco, Ventura County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-16 | Thunderstorm WindVentura County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-09 | High WindLos Angeles County and Ventura County · forecast zone Western Santa Monica Mountains | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-08 | High WindLos Angeles County and Ventura County · forecast zone Santa Susana Mountains | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-04 | Flash FloodDulah, Ventura 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-11-08 | WildfireVentura County · forecast zone Ventura County Coast The Woolsey Fire burned 96,949 across in Ventura and Los Angeles county. The fire ignited during a strong Santa Ana wind event. Gusty north to northeast winds (in excess of 60 MPH) and very dry conditions allowed the fire to spread very quickly. In total, the Woolsey Fire destroyed 1,643 structures (including 400 ... | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2018-11-08 | WildfireVentura County · forecast zone Ventura County Coastal Valleys The Woolsey Fire burned 96,949 across in Ventura and Los Angeles county. The fire ignited during a strong Santa Ana wind event. Gusty north to northeast winds (in excess of 60 MPH) and very dry conditions allowed the fire to spread very quickly. In total, the Woolsey Fire destroyed 1,643 structures (including 400 ... | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 1999-01-03 | Rip CurrentHollywood By The Sea, Ventura County Gusty Santa Ana winds fueled a brush fire in the San Fernando Valley, north of Granada Hills. Over 600 acres of land was burned, but no injuries or property damage was reported. The Santa Ana winds also produced deadly rip currents across the Southern California coastal waters. In the Channel Islands Harbour, four ... | 2 | 4 | – | |
| 2006-12-26 | High SurfVentura County · forecast zone Ventura County Coast One man drowned off of Ventura Beach, trying to save his neice and grandneice who were swept off a jetty by large waves. The neice and grandneice were eventually saved. | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2008-01-12 | Rip CurrentVentura County · forecast zone Ventura County Coast An teenager from Oxnard, who was fishing near Point Mugu, was swept off the rocks by the large and dangerous waves and drowned. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2017-12-04 | WildfireVentura County · forecast zone Ventura County Coast The Thomas Fire ignited in early December in the coastal valleys of Ventura county, near Thomas Aquinas College. At the time of ignition, fuel conditions were at record dry levels for early December. The combination of gusty Santa Ana winds and the dry fuel conditions allowed the fire to spread quickly across sections ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2017-12-04 | WildfireVentura County · forecast zone Ventura County Interior Valleys The Thomas Fire ignited in early December in the coastal valleys of Ventura county, near Thomas Aquinas College. At the time of ignition, fuel conditions were at record dry levels for early December. The combination of gusty Santa Ana winds and the dry fuel conditions allowed the fire to spread quickly across sections ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2017-12-04 | WildfireVentura County · forecast zone Ventura County Mountains The Thomas Fire ignited in early December in the coastal valleys of Ventura county, near Thomas Aquinas College. At the time of ignition, fuel conditions were at record dry levels for early December. The combination of gusty Santa Ana winds and the dry fuel conditions allowed the fire to spread quickly across sections ... | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-01-07 | Heavy RainCountywide, Ventura County | 0 | 0 | $287M | |
| 1998-12-21 | Frost/FreezeCountywide, Ventura County | 0 | 0 | $135M | |
| 2007-01-13 | Frost/FreezeVentura County · forecast zone Ventura County Interior Valleys | 0 | 0 | $132M | |
| 2006-12-03 | WildfireVentura County · forecast zone Ventura County Coastal Valleys | 0 | 2 | $15M | |
| 2005-02-20 | Flash FloodCentral Portion, Ventura County | 0 | 0 | $12M | |
| 1997-08-05 | WildfirePiru, Ventura County | 0 | 0 | $9.2M | |
| 1996-05-01 | WildfireFillmore, Ventura County | 0 | 3 | $941K | |
| 1998-10-18 | WildfirePiru, Ventura County | 0 | 7 | $724K |
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: November 9, 1982 (tornado, Ventura County); December 7, 1992 (tornado, Ventura 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 Ventura 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 | – | – | – | – | 66 | 58 | 93 | 88 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 42 | 32 | 22 | 17 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 10 | 36 | 22 | 35 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 7 | 12 | 19 | 6 |
| Rip currents and high surf | – | – | – | – | 17 | 12 | 2 | 1 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 17 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
42% of its high wind and dust records since 1996 fell in December and January. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 133 · Feb 126 · Mar 51 · Apr 32 · May 20 · Jun 12 · Jul 15 · Aug 23 · Sep 24 · Oct 52 · Nov 85 · Dec 112 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Ventura County
FEMA's register lists 53 declarations that include Ventura County: 29 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 17 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (28) and flood (10).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-18 | FM-5635 | Fire | Sandy Fire |
| 2024-11-06 | FM-5545 | Fire | Mountain Fire |
| 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 |
| 2023-01-14 | 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 |
| 2019-11-01 | FM-5302 | Fire | Maria Fire |
| 2019-10-30 | FM-5298 | Fire | Easy Fire |
| 2019-10-11 | FM-5293 | Fire | Saddleridge Fire |
| 2018-11-12 | DR-4407 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2018-11-09 | EM-3409 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2018-11-09 | FM-5280 | Fire | Woolsey Fire |
| 2018-11-08 | FM-5279 | Fire | Hill Fire |
| 2018-01-02 | DR-4353 | Fire | Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflows, and Debris Flows |
| 2017-12-08 | EM-3396 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2017-12-05 | FM-5224 | Fire | Thomas Fire |
| 2013-05-02 | FM-5024 | Fire | Springs Fire |
| 2009-09-22 | FM-2839 | Fire | Guiberson Fire |
| 2007-10-24 | DR-1731 | Fire | Wildfires, Flooding, Mud Flows, and Debris Flows |
| 2007-10-23 | EM-3279 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2007-10-22 | FM-2736 | Fire | Ranch Fire |
| 2007-03-13 | DR-1689 | Freezing | Severe Freeze |
| 2006-12-03 | FM-2681 | Fire | Shekell Fire |
| 2006-09-26 | FM-2677 | Fire | Day Fire |
| 2005-11-18 | FM-2586 | Fire | School Fire |
| 2005-09-28 | FM-2583 | Fire | Topanga Fire |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3248 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-04-14 | DR-1585 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mud and Debris Flows |
| 2005-02-04 | DR-1577 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides |
| 2003-10-27 | DR-1498 | Fire | Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflow and Debris Flow Directly Related T |
| 2003-10-26 | FM-2504 | Fire | Simi Fire |
| 2003-10-25 | FM-2502 | Fire | Ca-Verdale Fire 10-25-2003 |
| 1999-02-09 | DR-1267 | Freezing | Ca-Citrus Crop Damage 2/2/99 |
| 1998-02-09 | DR-1203 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding |
| 1996-10-23 | EM-3120 | Fire | Severe Firestorms |
| 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 |
| 1994-01-17 | DR-1008 | Earthquake | Northridge Earthquake |
The 40 most recent of 53 are listed; the CSV has every one.
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 Ventura County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 103 flood or flash flood records for Ventura County from 1998 to 2026, on 67 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Ventura County ranks 266th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $16.0 million on 1,331 claims filed in Ventura County; the most in one year was 237 in 1998. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 83 · 1979: 13 · 1980: 89 · 1981: 12 · 1982: 4 · 1983: 133 · 1984: 1 · 1985: 3 · 1986: 18 · 1987: 1 · 1988: 21 · 1991: 14 · 1992: 46 · 1993: 21 · 1994: 6 · 1995: 160 · 1996: 7 · 1997: 25 · 1998: 237 · 1999: 3 · 2000: 7 · 2001: 18 · 2002: 7 · 2003: 4 · 2004: 5 · 2005: 160 · 2006: 2 · 2007: 2 · 2008: 15 · 2009: 2 · 2010: 13 · 2011: 3 · 2012: 4 · 2013: 1 · 2014: 15 · 2015: 3 · 2016: 8 · 2017: 28 · 2018: 8 · 2019: 28 · 2021: 6 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 67 · 2024: 15 · 2025: 11 · 2026: 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 Ventura County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Ventura County Relatively High overall, with an expected annual loss of $762 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverine Flooding | Very High | $313M | 1.9 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively High | $50M | once in about 83 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | $392M | once in about 13 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively High | $651K | 64 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $2.3M | 9.8 modeled event-days a year |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $994K | 94 modeled event-days a year |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $536K | 6.2 a year (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $599K | 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 Ventura 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 Ventura CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Ventura County's FEMA declarations (CSV)53 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis