States › California › Kern County
Kern County, California
Recorded hazard history: storm events since 1950, federal disaster declarations since 1953, flood insurance claims since 1978, and FEMA's risk index.
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. NCEI storm records through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA declarations refreshed 29 Sep 2026; NFIP claims as of 8 Sep 2026.
Between 1950 and 2026, NCEI recorded 832 storm events in Kern County, California, led by floods and flash floods.
That is 10.2 events per 100 square miles, below the California figure of 26.2, and 9.1 per 10,000 residents against 10.4 statewide.
24 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 2 deaths and 11 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $62M and crop damage at $27M.
FEMA has designated the county in 40 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Borel Fire (fire management assistance, 27 Jul 2024).
National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 280 claims since 1978, of which 142 were paid, totalling $1.5M (about $11K per paid claim). FEMA counts 2,955 residential flood policies in force.
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Relatively High" and its expected annual loss as "Relatively High" ($417M a year across 18 hazards).
Compared with California and the United States
| Measure | Kern County | California | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 832 | 40,849 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 10.2 | 26.2 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 9.1 | 10.4 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 24 | 1,233 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 2 | 1,170 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $62M | $30B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 0.3 | 1.4 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $11K | $21K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 2.1 | 5.0 | 16.1 |
County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county. State and US rows include events recorded only by forecast zone. Rates use 2021 Census population and land area.
Events by decade
Trend: 603 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 222 in the 20 years before. Reporting practice changed in 1996 and again with automated reports in the 2000s, so decade totals measure the record as much as the weather.
Events by type
Hazard pages exist for hail, tornado, flood, wind and winter where the county has at least 10 recorded events. "Other" covers heavy rain, debris flow, dust, funnel clouds and similar reports.
Largest recorded events
| Date | Event type | Group | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Dec 1997 | Heavy Rain | Other | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 18 Jul 2015 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 3 Sep 1997 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $5.0M | — | — | 4 | County |
| 1 Feb 1998 | Heavy Rain | Other | — | $13M | $5.4M | — | — | County |
| 2 Jan 2011 | Flood | Flood | — | $13M | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Aug 1998 | Wildfire | Wildfire | — | $1.0M | — | — | 1 | County |
| 19 Aug 1997 | Wildfire | Wildfire | — | $400K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 5 May 1998 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 3 Jun 2009 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 10 Sep 2011 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 10 Sep 2011 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 22 Jun 2022 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 1 May 2003 | Heavy Rain | Other | — | — | $9.6M | — | — | County |
| 1 May 1998 | Heavy Rain | Other | — | — | $5.9M | — | — | County |
| 31 Mar 1998 | Flood | Flood | — | — | $5.7M | — | — | County |
| 19 Dec 2010 | Flood | Flood | — | $5.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jul 2002 | Wildfire | Wildfire | — | $3.8M | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Aug 1997 | Wildfire | Wildfire | — | $3.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jul 2003 | Wildfire | Wildfire | — | $2.6M | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Feb 2005 | Heavy Rain | Other | — | $2.0M | — | — | — | County |
Ranked by deaths, then injuries, then NCEI's damage estimate. Deaths and injuries are NCEI counts (direct plus indirect); no personal details are recorded here.
Federal disaster declarations
| Declared | Number | Type | Incident | Title | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Jul 2024 | FM-5522 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Borel Fire | Public assistance |
| 21 Nov 2023 | DR-4750 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Hilary | Public assistance |
| 3 Apr 2023 | DR-4699 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 10 Mar 2023 | EM-3592 | Emergency | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Public assistance |
| 25 Aug 2021 | FM-5416 | Fire management assistance | Fire | French Fire | Public assistance |
| 22 Mar 2020 | DR-4482 | Major disaster | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Mar 2020 | EM-3428 | Emergency | Biological | Covid-19 | Public assistance |
| 8 Jul 2019 | EM-3415 | Emergency | Earthquake | Earthquakes | Public assistance |
| 16 Mar 2017 | DR-4305 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Public assistance |
| 22 Aug 2016 | FM-5150 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Cedar Fire | Public assistance |
| 24 Jun 2016 | FM-5131 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Erskine Fire | Public assistance |
| 19 Aug 2014 | FM-5075 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Way Fire | Public assistance |
| 11 Sep 2011 | FM-2971 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Comanche Fire Complex | Public assistance |
| 11 Sep 2011 | FM-2970 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Keene Fire Complex | Public assistance |
| 5 Sep 2011 | FM-2961 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Canyon Fire | Public assistance |
| 26 Jan 2011 | DR-1952 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Debris And Mud Flows | Public assistance |
| 15 Sep 2010 | FM-2858 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Canyon Fire | Public assistance |
| 24 Aug 2010 | FM-2852 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Post Fire | Public assistance |
| 28 Jul 2010 | FM-2850 | Fire management assistance | Fire | West Fire | Public assistance |
| 27 Jul 2010 | FM-2849 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Bull Fire | Public assistance |
| 28 Jun 2008 | EM-3287 | Emergency | Fire | Wildfires | Public assistance |
| 13 Mar 2007 | DR-1689 | Major disaster | Freezing | Severe Freeze | Individual assistance |
| 13 Sep 2005 | EM-3248 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Public assistance |
| 14 Apr 2005 | DR-1585 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mud And Debris Flows | Public assistance |
| 4 Feb 2005 | DR-1577 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, And Mudslides | Individual assistance |
| 29 Jun 2003 | FM-2474 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Ca - Tejon Fire - 06-30-2003 | Public assistance |
| 28 Jun 2003 | FM-2473 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Ca - Sawmill Fire - 06-27-2003 | Public assistance |
| 22 Jul 2002 | FM-2450 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Deer Fire | Public assistance |
| 9 Feb 1999 | DR-1267 | Major disaster | Freezing | Ca-Citrus Crop Damage 2/2/99 | Individual assistance |
| 9 Feb 1998 | DR-1203 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms And Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 12 Mar 1995 | DR-1046 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding Landslides, Mud Flow | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 10 Jan 1995 | DR-1044 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, Mud Flows | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 25 Feb 1992 | DR-935 | Major disaster | Flood | Rain/Snow/Wind Storms, Flooding, Mudslides | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 11 Feb 1991 | DR-894 | Major disaster | Freezing | Severe Freeze | Individual assistance |
| 9 Feb 1983 | DR-677 | Major disaster | Coastal Storm | Coastal Storms, Floods, Slides & Tornadoes | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 15 Feb 1978 | DR-547 | Major disaster | Flood | Coastal Storms, Mudslides & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 20 Jan 1977 | EM-3023 | Emergency | Drought | Drought | Public assistance |
| 29 Sep 1970 | DR-295 | Major disaster | Fire | Forest & Brush Fires | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 26 Jan 1969 | DR-253 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 2 Jan 1967 | DR-223 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
Declarations in which FEMA designated this county, from the OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). DR: major disaster; EM: emergency; FM: fire management assistance. Programs show whether individual or public assistance was made available.
Flood insurance claims
| Year of loss | Claims | Paid claims | Amount paid | Average paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 | 1 | $23,203 | $23,203 |
| 2024 | 5 | 1 | $10,494 | $10,494 |
| 2023 | 22 | 4 | $152,457 | $38,114 |
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | $48,511 | $48,511 |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2020 | 6 | 2 | $45,866 | $22,933 |
| 2019 | 8 | 4 | $64,831 | $16,208 |
| 2018 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2017 | 14 | 5 | $136,187 | $27,237 |
| 2016 | 6 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2015 | 2 | 1 | $82,905 | $82,905 |
| 2014 | 2 | 1 | $1,083 | $1,083 |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2012 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2011 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2010 | 10 | 1 | $19,259 | $19,259 |
| 2009 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2008 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2007 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2006 | 2 | 1 | $5,320 | $5,320 |
| 2005 | 12 | 9 | $147,274 | $16,364 |
| 2004 | 3 | 1 | $6,890 | $6,890 |
| 2003 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2002 | 2 | 2 | $4,514 | $2,257 |
| 2001 | 2 | 1 | $1,030 | $1,030 |
OpenFEMA NFIP claims (v3, as of 8 Sep 2026), aggregated by year of loss; amounts are building, contents and increased-cost-of-compliance payments as recorded. Repetitive-loss counts from the NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (2 Aug 2026); policies in force from the NFIP Residential Penetration Rates file (3 Aug 2026).
National Risk Index
| Hazard (NRI) | Risk rating | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|
| Earthquake | $184,018,733 | |
| Inland flooding | $147,215,281 | |
| Heat wave | $42,545,674 | |
| Wildfire | $38,483,037 | |
| Drought | $1,992,269 | |
| Lightning | $760,534 | |
| Landslide | $757,635 | |
| Hail | $414,237 | |
| Strong wind | $399,076 | |
| Winter weather | $190,199 | |
| Tornado | $185,553 | |
| Cold wave | $4,855 | |
| Avalanche | $336 | |
| Volcanic activity | $25 |
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. Ratings are FEMA's relative comparison of counties; expected annual loss is FEMA's modelled estimate of average yearly building, population and agriculture loss. See how to read the NRI.
Hurricane and tropical storm passes
No HURDAT2 track at tropical-storm strength passes within 100 miles of the county's centre point (through the 2025 season).
ZIP codes with flood claims
- 93241 40
- 93250 32
- 93555 29
- 93560 23
- 93203 22
- 93307 18
- 93301 16
- 93225 14
- 93311 10
- 93501 10
- 93561 10
- 93523 7
- 93238 5
- 93518 5
ZIP codes whose NFIP claims carry this county's code, with the number of claims. Five or more claims are needed for a ZIP page to be indexed.
Questions and answers
How often does it hail in Kern County, CA?
NCEI records 41 hail events in Kern County since 1950, in 18 different years; that is about 0.5 recorded events a year. 3 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Kern County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 16 tornadoes in Kern County since 1950, 0 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 0.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Kern County?
27 Jul 2024: Borel Fire, a fire management assistance declaration for fire. The county appears in 40 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Kern County, and how much was paid?
280 NFIP claims since 1978, 142 of them paid, for $1.5M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Kern County in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?
FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Relatively High" for overall risk, "Relatively High" for expected annual loss, "Relatively High" for social vulnerability and "Very Low" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does Kern County compare with the rest of California?
10.2 recorded events per 100 square miles against 26.2 statewide, and 0.3 NFIP claims per 1,000 residents against 1.4. The comparison table on this page shows each measure beside the state and national figures.
Provenance
Storm events: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026 (public domain). Declarations: OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, refreshed 29 Sep 2026. Flood claims: OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 as of 8 Sep 2026; NfipMultipleLossProperties v1 (2 Aug 2026); NfipResidentialPenetrationRates v1 (3 Aug 2026). Risk index: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Hurricane tracks: NHC HURDAT2 through 2025. Population and area: US Census Bureau, 2021 vintage. Built 30 Sep 2026; see the methodology and corrections pages. Hazard hubs: Hail · Tornado · Flood · Wind · Winter.