Coalinga
Population 17,281 (2025)
1 tornadoes have tracked within 25 miles of Coalinga since 1950, 0 of them rated EF3 or F3 or stronger; the most recent was on May 19, 2019.
Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed
- Tornado damage paths within 25 miles since 19501
- Wildfire burn scars within 25 miles since 198440
- Major flood years since 1978, Fresno County2
At a glance
Tornado paths within 25 miles, tropical cyclone tracks within 100 miles and wildfire perimeters within 25 miles of the city centre. Storm events, flood insurance claims and disaster declarations are for Fresno County. Earthquakes within 50 miles, volcanoes within 100 miles and smoke days are measured from the city centre; river and tide gauges, tsunami and landslide records and the drought index are for Fresno County.
Strongest tornado
EF0
May 19, 2019, 0.3 mile path
Federal disaster declarations
20
Most recent: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, 2023
DetailsTornadoes
About one every 76 years since 1950, none rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
Strongest
May 19, 2019
EF0, 0.3 mile path
100 yards wide.
Most recent
Sunday, May 19, 2019
EF0, 0.3 mile path
7 years ago.
Every recorded tornado
| May 19, 2019 | EF0 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 |
- Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond this area.
- Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.
Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
No tropical storm or hurricane has tracked within 100 miles since records began in 1851.
Wildfire and smoke
40 large fires burned within 25 miles since 1984.
Largest
July 10, 2017
Garza Fire, 48,477 acres
6.7 miles from the city centre.
Most recent
September 2, 2025
Marmon Fire
1,045 acres in total.
Every large fire
| Marmon | 2025 | 15.1 | 1,045 |
| Salt | 2025 | 5.7 | 26,401 |
| Boone | 2024 | 10.2 | 17,709 |
| Sargents | 2021 | 24.8 | 1,232 |
| Hills | 2020 | 9.7 | 1,996 |
| Mineral | 2020 | 5.9 | 29,910 |
| Five | 2020 | 15.7 | 2,037 |
| Turkey | 2018 | 21.2 | 2,320 |
| Park | 2017 | 10.3 | 1,793 |
| Garza | 2017 | 6.7 | 48,477 |
| Derrick | 2017 | 7.4 | 1,615 |
| Elm 2 | 2017 | 2.1 | 10,775 |
| Jayne | 2017 | 4.6 | 4,681 |
| Mineral | 2016 | 8.6 | 6,857 |
| Curry | 2016 | 5.4 | 2,839 |
| Turkey | 2012 | 20.3 | 2,710 |
| Tar | 2007 | 13.0 | 5,021 |
| Three Rocks | 2006 | 23.6 | 9,339 |
| Rico | 2006 | 17.2 | 11,813 |
| Almazan | 2006 | 2.1 | 2,136 |
| Five | 2005 | 23.8 | 2,620 |
| Gatos | 2004 | 13.6 | 1,007 |
| Unnamed | 2002 | 17.6 | 1,752 |
| North Fork | 2000 | 22.1 | 1,894 |
| Unnamed | 1998 | 20.9 | 1,594 |
| Unnamed | 1998 | 14.0 | 1,793 |
| Unnamed | 1997 | 22.0 | 1,080 |
| Unnamed | 1996 | 4.1 | 1,464 |
| Unnamed | 1996 | 3.4 | 2,604 |
| Hwy 41 | 1996 | 22.5 | 5,218 |
| Skyline | 1996 | 14.5 | 21,717 |
| York | 1994 | 20.7 | 1,024 |
| Unnamed | 1993 | 21.0 | 1,173 |
| Unnamed | 1993 | 13.8 | 1,039 |
| Pge 13 | 1993 | 11.3 | 1,594 |
| Nunez | 1987 | 8.0 | 1,585 |
| Stateca 17 | 1987 | 10.4 | 2,173 |
| Deer Valley Ranch | 1986 | 21.2 | 1,033 |
| Flat Top | 1984 | 16.8 | 6,670 |
| Fk 1817 | 1984 | 8.2 | 1,464 |
- Large fires mapped by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program since 1984: 1,000 acres or more in the West, 500 or more in the East. Prescribed burns are excluded. Acres here are the part of each perimeter inside this place.
Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service), 1984 to 2026.
Smoke overhead
Smokiest year
2020: 61 days
Heavy smoke on 29 days in 2020, the most of any year.
Last 10 years
15.0 days a year
Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.
2025
8 days
Medium or heavy smoke. 4 so far in 2026.
- A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.
NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Floods and flood insurance
278 federal flood insurance claims since 1978, with $2.2 million paid.
Flood insurance figures are for Fresno County, the county that contains Coalinga.
Most claims in one year
1995: 68 claims
$608,000 paid.
2nd most
1998: 27 claims
$179,000 paid.
3rd most
1983: 19 claims
$15,000 paid.
Claims by ZIP code
| 93657 | 28 | $224,000 |
| 93711 | 23 | $245,000 |
| 93704 | 23 | $116,000 |
| 93612 | 20 | $155,000 |
| 93619 | 19 | $248,000 |
| 93726 | 17 | $42,000 |
| 93705 | 15 | $37,000 |
| 93728 | 15 | $65,000 |
| 93720 | 15 | $283,000 |
| 93710 | 14 | $16,000 |
| 93646 | 13 | $106,000 |
| 93611 | 12 | $30,000 |
| 93622 | 8 | $8,649 |
| 93721 | 7 | $26,000 |
| 93702 | 5 | $7,808 |
Flood events since 1996
- Flood312
- Heavy Rain107
- Flash Flood32
2 deaths recorded in flood events since 1996.
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.
Drought
In severe drought or worse for 192 of 1,581 months since 1895 (12%); the longest spell lasted 33 months.
The drought index is for Fresno County, the county that contains Coalinga.
192
Months in severe drought or worse since 1895
82
Months in extreme drought
12%
Share of all months, severe or worse
225
Drought reports to the Weather Service since 1996
Lowest reading
July 2014
−8.97, extreme drought
Longest severe spell
33 months
January 2013 to September 2015.
Latest month
September 2026
−2.72, moderate drought
Last severe month: August 2025.
- The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.
NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.
Earthquakes and landslides
213 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles since 1900; the largest was magnitude 6.7 in 1983.
1,733
Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973
213
Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900
25
Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900
Largest within 50 miles
May 2, 1983
The 1983 Coalinga, California Earthquake; 7.0 miles away, 6.0 miles deep.
Most recent, magnitude 3 or more
August 4, 2026
Magnitude 3.3
10 km NNE of Kettleman City, CA; 22.9 miles away.
Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles
- Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the city centre.
- Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Mapped landslides
Landslides mapped in Fresno County.
5,207
Landslides mapped, probable or better
5,160
With a recorded date
5
Source inventories
Mapped by USGS Earthquake-Triggered Ground Failure (5,152), West Coast Slow Moving (Yuankun and others, 2021) (32), USGS Conterminous (15), NASA (6), CA GS (2).
Deadly landslides
| Oct 15, 2016 | Rock fall | 1 |
| Mar 26, 2011 | Landslide | 2 |
- Landslides mapped in the USGS compilation of landslide inventories across the United States (version 3.0, 2025), rated probable or better. The compilation joins inventories made by federal and state agencies for different purposes and areas, so the number mapped in a county reflects how closely it has been surveyed as much as how often its slopes fail. An area with few records may simply not have been mapped. Deaths are as recorded in the inventories; a slide listed in two inventories is counted once.
USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0, retrieved October 27, 2026.
Severe weather and other events
2,442 events in the National Weather Service record for Fresno County, 2,412 of them since 1996.
24
Hail reports, 1 inch or larger
0
Hail, 2 inches or larger
29
Damaging gusts, 58 mph+
314
Winter weather events since 1996
231
Heat events since 1996
189
Cold events since 1996
Largest hail
May 13, 1957
1.75 inches
Strongest measured or estimated gust
September 11, 2017
70 mph
More event types since 1996
| Lightning | 37 | 1 |
| Dust storms and dust devils | 7 | 0 |
| Dense fog and smoke | 587 | 10 |
| Debris flows | 40 | 0 |
| Avalanches | 1 | 0 |
Costliest events since 1996
- Jan 9, 2023Winter Storm, Fresno - Clovis$8.9 million
National Weather Service narrative
The Fresno County Emergency Manager reported that the widespread flooding and damaging winds that took place on January 9th and January 10th resulted in $8.9 million in property damage throughout Fresno County. Most of this was for road and bridge repairs as well as for the costs of emergency RMO response to clean rock slides, mud slides and debris flows across roads and to pay for overtime and contractors to complete the necessary repairs and cleaning.
- Aug 19, 2001Wildfire$6.1 million
National Weather Service narrative
The Highway Fire is suspected to have been caused by arson. It burned 4152 acres and forced the evacuation of a large number of residents. There were no fatalities but 8 structures were lost (3 primary and 5 out-buildings). Total cost to contain was over $6M.
- Jan 11, 2003Wildfire$2.5 million
National Weather Service narrative
The Marks-Nielson Fire began in the early morning hours of the 11th of January and continued to burn until February 14th. The fire was spread through 3 acres of woodchips and other debris piled over 20-feet high in spots. It began by spontaneous combustion and caused a health problem due to its soot for much of the Fresno metropolitan area. With a number of agencies involved along with the Federal EPA intervention, the cost of putting the fire out is estimated to be over $2.5M.
- Aug 14, 2020Excessive Heat, Fresno$2.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
Daytime highs ranged between 104 and 109 degrees on August 14-15 and August 18 and between 107 and 112 degrees on August 16-17.
- Aug 6, 1997Wildfire$1.9 million
National Weather Service narrative
Named the "Choke Fire" it burned more than 3900 acres in the high country of the Southern Sierra Nevada in the Sequoia National Forest. It was a lightning caused fire from thunderstorms associated with monsoonal moisture.
- Feb 1, 1998Heavy Rain$1.6 million
National Weather Service narrative
The following figures reflect estimated losses from the much above-normal rains and flooding of February. Subsequent months with normally increasing agricultural field operations were more significantly impacted by above normal rainfall. Consider this February list abridged and estimated in many respects (note Madera County is omitted, for example). The total rain/flood damage to area agriculture from the cooler and wetter spring in Central California is presented in the May Storm data figures.Fresno County Ag Loss $1.8M Property $1.6MKern County Ag Loss $5.4M Property $12.5MKings County Ag Loss $1.0M Property $20KMerced County Ag Loss $1.4M Property $2.0MTulare County Ag Loss…
- May 19, 1997Lightning$1.5 million
National Weather Service narrative
Lightning spawned and wind driven fire destroyed 600 acres of grassland and 3 upscale homes north-northeast of Fresno. Wind from the thunderstorm provided the driving force pushing the fire through fire-breaks and into expensive homes and through dry pastures.
- Jan 2, 2006Flood$1.4 million
National Weather Service narrative
Continuous rain, heavy at times, brought an abnormally high 2.84" of rain to the Fresno Air Terminal, 3.19" in Selma, and 2.25" at Coalinga in a little over 24 hours. A new rainfall record of 1.88" was set for the 2nd of January for Fresno. Flooding was observed in the city of Fresno as 15 ponding basins overflowed. Local flooding was also reported in smaller cities of Huron, Fowler, and Selma. Over 150 houses were damaged within the county. The strong wind downed trees and power lines leaving over 60,000 customers without power at some point.
- Mar 17, 2012Thunderstorm Wind$1.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
NWS Storm survey team investigated wind damage on the north side of Clovis and determined that a severe thunderstorm produced straight line wind damage at around 230 AM. Several large evergreen trees were downed on homes on the north side of Clovis.
- Jun 24, 2024Lightning$1.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
Dry lightning sparked several wildfires during the afternoon and evening of June 24 east of Reedley and Sanger. These fires became known as the Fresno Lightning Complex which resulted in several evacuations as the fires spread rapidly due to heavy fuel loading. The transmitter for KVPT Channel 18 was destroyed by one of the fires.
- Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.
Weather records
From Paso Robles Municipal Airport, 35.9 miles from the city centre, with records from 1948.
- All-time high
- 117°FSep 6, 2020
- All-time low
- 8°F2 times, most recently Dec 23, 1990
- Warmest night
- 74°F2 times, most recently Sep 3, 2017
- Coldest day
- 35°FDec 9, 1972
- Wettest day
- 5.47 inMar 10, 1995
- Snowiest day
- 4.0 inDec 15, 1988
- Hottest year
- 2014mean 63.7°F
- Coldest year
- 1971mean 57.4°F
- Wettest year
- 199525.56 in
- Driest year
- 20131.91 in
Station Paso Robles Municipal Airport (USW00093209), 820 ft elevation, 35.9 miles from the city centre. Daily records from 1948 to October 26, 2026; 99.9% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.
NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.
Federal disaster declarations
20 since 1953. The most recent: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, April 3, 2023.
Declarations for Fresno County.
| Apr 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699-CA |
| Mar 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592-CA |
| Jan 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683-CA |
| Jan 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591-CA |
| Oct 16, 2020 | Fire | DR-4569-CA |
| Sep 6, 2020 | Fire | FM-5348-CA |
| Mar 22, 2020 | Biological | DR-4482-CA |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3428-CA |
| Jul 31, 2016 | Fire | FM-5140-CA |
| Mar 13, 2007 | Freezing | DR-1689-CA |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3248-CA |
| Feb 9, 1999 | Freezing | DR-1267-CA |
| Feb 9, 1998 | Severe Storm | DR-1203-CA |
| Jan 4, 1997 | Severe Storm | DR-1155-CA |
| Mar 12, 1995 | Severe Storm | DR-1046-CA |
| Feb 3, 1993 | Flood | DR-979-CA |
| Feb 11, 1991 | Freezing | DR-894-CA |
| Feb 21, 1986 | Flood | DR-758-CA |
| Jan 20, 1977 | Drought | EM-3023-CA |
| Jan 26, 1969 | Flood | DR-253-CA |
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.
Sources and vintage
Every number on this page comes from these public records.
- Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
- Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
- Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
- Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
- Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
- Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USW00093209.
- River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
- Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Landslides USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0 (2025).
- Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.
Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.