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Wind in Butte County, California
12 damaging wind events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Thunderstorm Wind, High Wind, Strong Wind.
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 12 wind events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 8 different years.
February is the busiest month, with 2 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 7 events against 4 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.1% of the 10,880 wind events recorded in California; its 0.7 per 100 square miles compares with 7.0 statewide.
4 wind reports with a measured or estimated speed reached the 58 mph severe threshold, and 1 reached hurricane force (74 mph).
Compared with California
| Measure | Butte County | California | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wind events since 1950 | 12 | 10,880 | 701,953 |
| Per 100 square miles | 0.7 | 7.0 | 19.9 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 0.6 | 2.8 | 21.1 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 133 | 2,166 |
| Busiest month | February | January | June |
By year
Seasonality
1Feb
2Mar
1Apr
2May
1Jun
1Jul
0Aug
0Sep
2Oct
0Nov
2Dec
0
Magnitude distribution
NWS wind thresholds
- under 58 mph
- below severe threshold
- 58–73 mph
- severe
- 74–95 mph
- hurricane-force
- 96 mph and over
- extreme
Wind speed converted from the knots NCEI records; estimated and measured gusts are combined. Events without a speed are not binned.
Recorded events
All 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Feb 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | 49 mph | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jan 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | 63 mph | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Sep 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | 49 mph | $4.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | 49 mph | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Nov 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | 49 mph | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Nov 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | $1.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Mar 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Sep 1991 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Apr 1989 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Feb 1988 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jun 1978 | Thunderstorm Wind | 90 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many wind events has Butte County had?
12 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of damaging wind became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded wind event in Butte County?
21 Feb 2023 (Thunderstorm Wind, 49 mph). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging wind event recorded in Butte County?
The thunderstorm wind of 18 Sep 2019, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $4.0M.
How does Butte County compare with California for wind?
0.7 events per 100 square miles against 7.0 statewide; the county holds 12 of the state's 10,880 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 Wind hub and the county page.