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Wind in Merced County, California
10 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.
Merced County, California, has 10 wind events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 6 different years.
April is the busiest month, with 4 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 1 events against 8 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 0.5 per 100 square miles compares with 7.0 statewide.
5 wind reports with a measured or estimated speed reached the 58 mph severe threshold, and 2 reached hurricane force (74 mph).
Compared with California
| Measure | Merced County | California | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wind events since 1950 | 10 | 10,880 | 701,953 |
| Per 100 square miles | 0.5 | 7.0 | 19.9 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 0.3 | 2.8 | 21.1 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 133 | 2,166 |
| Busiest month | April | January | June |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
0Apr
4May
0Jun
2Jul
1Aug
2Sep
0Oct
1Nov
0Dec
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 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Oct 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | 63 mph | $60K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Aug 2002 | High Wind | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Aug 2001 | High Wind | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Apr 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | 69 mph | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Apr 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Apr 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | 92 mph | $230K | $100K | — | — | County |
| 1 Apr 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jun 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | $50K | $3.0M | — | — | County |
| 15 Jun 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jul 1957 | Thunderstorm Wind | 81 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many wind events has Merced County had?
10 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 Merced County?
29 Oct 2007 (Thunderstorm Wind, 63 mph). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging wind event recorded in Merced County?
The thunderstorm wind of 15 Jun 1995, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $50K and crop damage at $3.0M.
How does Merced County compare with California for wind?
0.5 events per 100 square miles against 7.0 statewide; the county holds 10 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.