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Tornado in Riverside County, California
27 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.
Riverside County, California, has 27 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 17 different years.
August is the busiest month, with 6 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 13 events against 9 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 5.5% of the 488 tornado events recorded in California; its 0.4 per 100 square miles compares with 0.3 statewide.
By rating: 19 at (E)F0, 4 at (E)F1, 1 at (E)F2, 1 at (E)F3, 0 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5 and 2 unrated. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with California
| Measure | Riverside County | California | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 27 | 488 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 0.4 | 0.3 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 0.1 | 0.1 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 0 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | August | March | May |
By year
Seasonality
3Feb
2Mar
1Apr
2May
5Jun
0Jul
3Aug
6Sep
2Oct
2Nov
0Dec
1
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 27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Oct 2022 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Aug 2022 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Aug 2018 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Oct 2015 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Aug 2015 | Tornado | EF1 | $18M | — | — | 2 | County |
| 21 Apr 2015 | Tornado | EF0 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Sep 2012 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Aug 2012 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jan 2010 | Tornado | EF0 | $3.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 22 May 2008 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 May 2008 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 May 2008 | Tornado | EF2 | $350K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 22 May 2008 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jul 2006 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jul 2005 | Tornado | F0 | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Feb 2005 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Feb 2005 | Tornado | F1 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jan 2005 | Tornado | F0 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 May 1998 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Dec 1996 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Aug 1994 | Tornado | F0 | $1 | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Mar 1991 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Sep 1985 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jan 1982 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jul 1974 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 16 Aug 1973 | Tornado | F3 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Apr 1955 | Tornado | — | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Riverside County had?
27 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 Riverside County?
8 Oct 2022 (Tornado, EF0). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Riverside County?
The tornado of 6 Aug 2015, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $18M.
How does Riverside County compare with California for tornado?
0.4 events per 100 square miles against 0.3 statewide; the county holds 27 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.