States › California › Orange County › Tornado
Tornado in Orange County, California
31 tornadoes events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Tornado.
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.
NCEI records 31 tornado events in Orange County, California, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 21 years.
February is the busiest month, with 8 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 2 events against 17 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 6.4% of the 488 tornado events recorded in California; its 3.9 per 100 square miles compares with 0.3 statewide.
By rating: 16 at (E)F0, 10 at (E)F1, 1 at (E)F2, 1 at (E)F3, 0 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5 and 3 unrated. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with California
| Measure | Orange County | California | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 31 | 488 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 3.9 | 0.3 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 0.1 | 0.1 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 0 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | February | March | May |
By year
Seasonality
7Feb
8Mar
3Apr
2May
0Jun
0Jul
0Aug
0Sep
1Oct
0Nov
6Dec
4
Magnitude distribution
Enhanced Fujita scale wind estimates
- EF0/F0
- 65–85 mph (EF0)
- EF1/F1
- 86–110 mph (EF1)
- EF2/F2
- 111–135 mph (EF2)
- EF3/F3
- 136–165 mph (EF3)
- EF4/F4
- 166–200 mph (EF4)
- EF5/F5
- over 200 mph (EF5)
- Unrated
- no rating recorded
Tornado rating as recorded (Fujita scale before February 2007, Enhanced Fujita after).
Recorded events
All 31 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Jan 2010 | Tornado | EF1 | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Sep 2007 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Feb 2005 | Tornado | F0 | $15K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Feb 2001 | Tornado | F0 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Feb 1998 | Tornado | F0 | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Dec 1997 | Tornado | F1 | $15K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Nov 1997 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Feb 1994 | Tornado | F0 | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Nov 1993 | Tornado | F0 | $1K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 8 Feb 1993 | Tornado | F0 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Jan 1993 | Tornado | F0 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jan 1993 | Tornado | F0 | $5.0M | — | — | 1 | County |
| 29 Dec 1992 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Dec 1992 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Dec 1992 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Mar 1991 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Feb 1991 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Jan 1988 | Tornado | F0 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Jan 1988 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Mar 1986 | Tornado | F1 | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jan 1984 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Nov 1982 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Nov 1982 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Jan 1979 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Feb 1978 | Tornado | F3 | $2.5M | — | — | 6 | County |
| 16 Mar 1977 | Tornado | F1 | $2.5M | — | — | 4 | County |
| 7 Nov 1966 | Tornado | F2 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Nov 1966 | Tornado | — | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Apr 1965 | Tornado | — | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Feb 1962 | Tornado | F0 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Apr 1958 | Tornado | — | $250 | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Orange County had?
31 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of tornadoes became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded tornado event in Orange County?
19 Jan 2010 (Tornado, EF1). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Orange County?
The tornado of 17 Jan 1993, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $5.0M.
How does Orange County compare with California for tornado?
3.9 events per 100 square miles against 0.3 statewide; the county holds 31 of the state's 488 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 Tornado hub and the county page.