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Flood in Butte County, California
100 floods and flash floods events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Flood, Flash Flood, Coastal Flood, Lakeshore Flood.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
Butte County, California, has 100 flood events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 12 different years.
February is the busiest month, with 34 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 96 events against 4 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1.4% of the 7,136 flood events recorded in California; its 6.1 per 100 square miles compares with 4.6 statewide.
Compared with California
| Measure | Butte County | California | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flood events since 1950 | 100 | 7,136 | 183,559 |
| Per 100 square miles | 6.1 | 4.6 | 5.2 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 4.8 | 1.8 | 5.5 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 121 | 2,961 |
| Busiest month | February | January | June |
By year
Seasonality
21Feb
34Mar
1Apr
10May
2Jun
0Jul
1Aug
0Sep
1Oct
2Nov
16Dec
12
Recorded events
All 100 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Feb 2026 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jan 2026 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jan 2026 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jan 2026 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Dec 2025 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Dec 2025 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Dec 2025 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Dec 2025 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Dec 2025 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Dec 2025 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Nov 2025 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Feb 2025 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Feb 2025 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Feb 2025 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Feb 2025 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Feb 2025 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Feb 2025 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Feb 2025 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Feb 2025 | Flood | — | $35K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Feb 2025 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Feb 2025 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Feb 2025 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Feb 2025 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Feb 2025 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Feb 2025 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Dec 2024 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Dec 2024 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Nov 2024 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Nov 2024 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Nov 2024 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Nov 2024 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Nov 2024 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Nov 2024 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Nov 2024 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Nov 2024 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Nov 2024 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Feb 2024 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Feb 2024 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jan 2024 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Sep 2023 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Mar 2023 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jan 2023 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jan 2023 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jan 2023 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jan 2023 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jan 2023 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jan 2023 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Nov 2020 | Flash Flood | — | $15K | $1K | — | — | County |
| 30 May 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 May 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Apr 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Apr 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Apr 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Apr 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 2019 | Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 2019 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 2019 | Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Feb 2019 | Flood | — | $80K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Feb 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Feb 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Feb 2019 | Flood | — | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Feb 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Feb 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Feb 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Feb 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Feb 2019 | Flood | — | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Feb 2019 | Flood | — | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Feb 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Feb 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Feb 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jan 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jan 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jan 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jan 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Nov 2018 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Nov 2018 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Nov 2018 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Nov 2018 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Nov 2018 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Apr 2018 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Apr 2018 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Apr 2018 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Feb 2017 | Flood | — | $549M | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Feb 2017 | Flood | — | $2.4M | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Feb 2017 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jan 2017 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jan 2017 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jan 2017 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jan 2017 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Dec 2014 | Flood | — | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Dec 2014 | Flood | — | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Feb 2014 | Flash Flood | — | $700K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Dec 2012 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Dec 2012 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Oct 2008 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Oct 2008 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jul 1997 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jan 1997 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jan 1997 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jan 1997 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many flood events has Butte County had?
100 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of floods and flash floods became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded flood event in Butte County?
16 Feb 2026 (Flood). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging flood event recorded in Butte County?
The flood of 12 Feb 2017, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $549M.
How does Butte County compare with California for flood?
6.1 events per 100 square miles against 4.6 statewide; the county holds 100 of the state's 7,136 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Flood hub and the county page.