California landslides and avalanches
Every recorded landslide or avalanche record since 1996 · 51 counties with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 823 landslide and avalanche records in California from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 34 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the January 9, 2018 debris flow in Santa Barbara County: 21 deaths, 168 injuries and $725 million in damage in 2025 dollars. California ranks 1st of 37 states and territories by count and 3rd of 37 per square mile.
Landslides and avalanches in California, 1996 to 2026
Landslide records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- Records
- 8231996 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 34average
- Deaths
- 83217 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $1.1Bas filed
- Busiest year
- 2017152 records
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
Are landslide and avalanche records common in California?
California averages about 34 landslide and avalanche records a year since 2000, 1st of 37 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2017 (152). Per 10,000 square miles of land, California records 53 landslide and avalanche records since 1996, 3rd of 37 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
Which counties in California have the most landslide and avalanche records?
Per square mile, Santa Cruz County leads California: 40 days with a landslide or avalanche record since 1996, 89.9 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Sonoma County has the most landslide records (68 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is the slide season in California?
48% of its landslide and avalanche records since 1996 fell in January and February. The busiest month is February (231 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 163 · Feb 231 · Mar 90 · Apr 31 · May 16 · Jun 14 · Jul 44 · Aug 30 · Sep 22 · Oct 45 · Nov 25 · Dec 112 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.
What were the deadliest landslide and avalanche records in California?
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-01-09 | Debris FlowSummerland, Santa Barbara County Intense rainfall generated a large and deadly mud and debris flow in the community of Montecito, around the burn scar of the Thomas fire. Automated rain gauges in the area indicated very intense rainfall, reaching as high as 0.54 inches in 5 minutes. The intense rainfall resulted in a mud and debris estimated to be 15 ... | 21 | 168 | $725M | |
| 2003-12-25 | Debris FlowSan Bernardino County · forecast zone San Bernardino County Mountains Steady light to moderate rain began falling over the burned areas of the San Bernardino Mountains on 0600 PST 12/24/03. Approximately 24 hours later, mud, rock, and debris flows were being reported along highways and roads leading into the mountain resort communities. By 0800 PST on Christmas Day, more than two inches ... | 14 | 10 | $8.0M | |
| 2005-01-10 | Debris FlowSanta Barbara County · forecast zone Santa Barbara County South Coast A powerful Pacific storm brought heavy rain, snow, flash flooding, high winds and landslides to Central and Southern California. During the 5 day event, rainfall totals ranged from 3 to 10 inches over coastal areas with up to 32 inches in the mountains. With such copious rainfall, flash flooding was a serious problem ... | 10 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-15 | AvalancheAlpine County and 3 more · forecast zone Greater Lake Tahoe Area Nevada Co Sheriff responded to a report of avalanche just north of Frog Lake near Castle Peak during the afternoon on the 17th. The avalanche caught a buried 15 backcountry skiers, resulting in 9 fatalities. | 9 | 0 | – | |
| 2008-01-25 | AvalancheLos Angeles County · forecast zone Los Angeles County Mountains Excluding The Santa Monica Range Several avalanches occurred near the Mountain High Ski Resort in the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles county. Three male skiers died as a result of the avalanches. | 3 | 3 | – | |
| 2011-04-26 | AvalancheInyo County · forecast zone Eastern Sierra Slopes Of Inyo County Two skiers died in an avalanche on the east-facing couloir of Split Mountain, near the Sierra crest southwest of Big Pine. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-02-22 | Debris FlowSummit City, Shasta County At approximately 9:00 AM PST on Thursday, February, 22, 2024, Shasta County Sheriff's Office responded to a report that rocks and debris had broken away from a hillside, near a drainage culvert that leads to the Sacramento River. Two juveniles were caught in the debris, fell down the hillside and died. Heavy rainfall ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2022-12-27 | Debris FlowForesta, Mariposa County Yosemite National Park employees reported two people were killed by a rockslide near the intersection of SR 140 and Big Oak Flat Road in Yosemite National Park. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 1999-02-06 | AvalancheAlpine County and 6 more · forecast zone West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada Four individuals were buried while sledding outside their lakeside cabin near the Sugar Bowl ski resort. Three of the individuals were able to dig themselves out and only sustained minor injuries. The fourth died of cardiac arrest after being trapped in the snow for six hours. | 1 | 3 | – | |
| 2023-07-02 | AvalancheInyo County · forecast zone Eastern Sierra Slopes Of Inyo County Per the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center, an avalanche above Red Lake on the northeast side of Split Mountain killed one hiker and injured two others. | 1 | 2 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.
The costliest landslide and avalanche records in California
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-01-09 | Debris FlowSummerland, Santa Barbara County | 21 | 168 | $725M | |
| 2007-10-03 | Debris FlowSan Diego County · forecast zone San Diego County Coastal Areas | 0 | 0 | $68M | |
| 2006-04-01 | Debris FlowMarin County and 2 more · forecast zone North Bay Interior Valleys | 1 | 0 | $50M | |
| 2005-12-28 | Debris FlowDel Norte County and 2 more · forecast zone North Coast Interior One storm episode: 5 records in 4 places; the totals are the episode's. | 0 | 0 | $45M | |
| 2005-06-01 | Debris FlowOrange County · forecast zone Orange County Coastal Plain | 0 | 5 | $41M | |
| 2010-12-20 | Debris FlowSan Bernardino County · forecast zone San Bernardino County Mountains | 0 | 0 | $20M | |
| 2006-04-04 | Debris FlowSan Mateo County and 2 more · forecast zone Santa Cruz Mountains | 0 | 0 | $19M | |
| 2006-04-02 | Debris FlowMarin County and 2 more · forecast zone North Bay Mountains | 0 | 0 | $17M |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are landslide and avalanche records becoming more frequent in California?
California's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | California | United States | California's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-99 | 5 | 98 | 5.1% |
| 2000s | 79 | 790 | 10.0% |
| 2010s | 478 | 1,304 | 36.7% |
| 2020-26 | 261 | 1,224 | 21.3% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent landslide and avalanche records in California
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-16 | AvalancheInyo County · forecast zone Eastern Sierra Slopes Of Inyo County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-16 | Debris FlowLong Beach Airport, Los Angeles County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-16 | Debris FlowEl Nido, Los Angeles County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-16 | Debris FlowCornell, Los Angeles County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-16 | Debris FlowBetteravia, Santa Barbara County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-15 | AvalancheAlpine County and 3 more · forecast zone Greater Lake Tahoe Area | 9 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-05 | AvalancheAlpine County and 3 more · forecast zone Greater Lake Tahoe Area | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-26 | AvalancheMono County · forecast zone Mono | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-14 | Debris FlowElizabeth Lake, Los Angeles County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-14 | Debris FlowEl Nido, Los Angeles County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-14 | Debris FlowSeminole Hot Spgs, Los Angeles County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-14 | Debris FlowSolromar, Ventura County | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
Federal disaster declarations for landslide and avalanche records in California
FEMA has declared 27 disasters in California for landslide and avalanche, counting its incident type and declarations that name landslide or mudslide in the title (FEMA files most storm disasters under Severe Storm); 25 were major disasters, the latest on April 13, 2024.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-04-13 | DR-4769 | Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | 9 |
| 2023-04-25 | DR-4707 | Severe Winter Storms and Mudslides | 1 |
| 2023-04-03 | DR-4699 | Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | 46 |
| 2023-03-10 | EM-3592 | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | 43 |
| 2023-01-14 | DR-4683 | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | 44 |
| 2023-01-09 | EM-3591 | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides | 41 |
| 2019-05-17 | DR-4434 | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | 18 |
| 2019-05-01 | DR-4431 | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | 11 |
| 2019-03-26 | DR-4422 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | 1 |
| 2017-04-01 | DR-4308 | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides | 44 |
| 2017-03-16 | DR-4305 | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides | 22 |
| 2017-02-14 | DR-4301 | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides | 34 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
- Santa Cruz County: the county's whole recordThe California county with the most landslide and avalanche records per square mile
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