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California · County tornado history

Sacramento County, California tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 16 tornadoes in Sacramento County, California from 1950 through 2024, about one every 4.7 years. That ranks it 10 of 48 counties in California with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on January 14, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
16
Since 2000
11
Strongest
F2, February 7, 1978
Most recent
EF0, January 14, 2023
Peak month
February (5)
Per 1,000 sq mi
16
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Moderate

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit Sacramento County

February has brought the most, 5 of 16. About 88% touched down between 12 pm and 6 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 44% of the total, a sign of the cool-season storms common in the South.

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 13
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 2
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 1
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 0
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in Sacramento County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
February 7, 1978 F2 1.9 mi 20 yd
March 22, 1983 F1 2 mi 50 yd
April 19, 1988 F1 1 mi 30 yd
March 23, 1995 F0 0.2 mi 10 yd
April 24, 1998 F0 0.1 mi 30 yd
February 21, 2005 F0 0.1 mi 0 yd
February 21, 2005 F0 0.3 mi 0 yd
April 8, 2005 F0 0.1 mi 0 yd
April 8, 2005 F0 0.1 mi 0 yd
February 25, 2007 EF0 1 mi 5 yd

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
January 14, 2023 EF0 0.3 mi 50 yd
November 8, 2022 EF0 0.8 mi 400 yd
May 18, 2020 EF0 0.1 mi 20 yd
January 11, 2017 EF0 0.4 mi 130 yd
October 22, 2012 EF0 1 mi 100 yd
February 25, 2011 EF0 0.3 mi 10 yd
February 25, 2007 EF0 1 mi 5 yd
April 8, 2005 F0 0.1 mi 0 yd

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in Sacramento County as relatively moderate, with a score of 65 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.12 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $2,138,452 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has Sacramento County had?

16 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 11 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Sacramento County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on January 14, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Sacramento County?

An F2 on February 7, 1978, with a 1.9-mile path.

When is tornado season in Sacramento County?

February has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.