Orange

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond this area.
2. 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.

Every large fire

1. 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

1. 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.

Flood insurance figures are for Orange County, the county that contains Orange.

Claims by ZIP code

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.

The drought index is for Orange County, the county that contains Orange.

1. 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.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

1. 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.
2. 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.

Tsunamis

Tsunami records for Orange County.

1. Places where NOAA's Global Historical Tsunami Database records a tsunami's water arriving, with the greatest height it reached above sea level at the time. Only tsunamis NOAA rates probable or definite are counted. Heights from eyewitness accounts and tide gauges are mixed, and older events are less completely recorded.

NOAA NCEI/WDS Global Historical Tsunami Database, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Mapped landslides

Landslides mapped in Orange County.

Mapped by CA GS (4,970), NASA (27), USGS Post-Fire Debris Flows (5), USGS Conterminous (1).

Deadly landslides

1. 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.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. May 11, 2022Wildfire, Orange County Coastal$60.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Coastal Fire ignited on May 11th around 2:50 PM and was contained on May 17th at 7:54 AM. The fire consumed approximately 200 acres and burned up to 20 homes, each of which were valued between $2-5 million, total estimated around $60 million. Evacuation Orders and Warnings were issued for zones within the City of Laguna Niguel. Approximately 900 homes were evacuated as a result. Cause currently unknown.

2. Sep 9, 2024Wildfire, Santa Ana Mountains And Foothills$50.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Airport fire began at 120 pm PDT Monday September 9, 2024 in Trabuco Canyon, at a remote controlled airport facility, following an excessive heat wave where temperatures reached 100 to 112F. The wildfire burned the next 2 weeks across the Santa Ana mountains and SR 74 which was closed. The wildfire reached into western Riverside County, just west of Lake Elsinore. Total acreage was 23,500. Estimated cost of 95 million. There were a total of 160 structures destroyed in Riverside and Orange Counties with 89 of those structures in Orange County. 22 persons, 2 were civilians and the rest firefighters, suffered injuries. A Fire Management Assistance Grant was issued and approved by…

3. Dec 19, 2010Flood$36.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Orange County officials estimate the total damages to public and private property at $36 million, due the 10+ of rain received by many areas. The city of Laguna Beach was certainly the hardest hit, making up approximately $12 million of the county's damages. Twelve miles of beaches in the county also had to be closed due to massive amounts of debris and pollution in storm runoff.

4. Feb 23, 1998Flash Flood$29.7 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A powerful Pacific storm fed by warmer than normal El Nino conditions in the eastern Pacific, slammed into southern California with strong winds, thunderstorms, and very heavy rain. This was the final in a series of heavy storms which pummelled the region this month. In many areas the ground was nearly saturated and some reservoirs were nearing or exceeding their capacity. The two, to locally five inches of rain which ensued, caused widespread flooding and property damage, prompting the President to declare all four counties Federal Disaster Areas. Strong winds gusting over 40 mph at times felled trees, whose support was weakened in the water-logged soils, which snapped utility…

5. Oct 9, 2017Wildfire, Orange County Inland$25.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Canyon 2 Fire began around 0900 PST on the 9th near the 91 Freeway and Gypsum Canyon Rd. in Anaheim Hills. The fire spread rapidly threatening numerous structures. In the first 24 hours the fire consumed more than 7,000 acres. In total 25 structures were destroyed, 55 were damaged and 9,217 acres burned. Four injuries were also reported. The cause of the fire was reported to be embers from the Canyon Fire which began September 25 and contained October 4th. Damage value is an estimate.

6. Feb 18, 2005Heavy Rain$20.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   An extended period of very wet weather dumped more than 3 to 6 inches of rain along the coast and inland valleys, more than 6 to 12 inches in the foothills and mountains, and more than 2 inches in the deserts. Some of the more impressive totals in inches are 6.80 at Fullerton Airport, 12.33 at Lake Arrowhead, and 18.79 at Lytle Creek. The San Diego River crested above flood stage at 11.46 feet, and the San Luis Rey River crested a half foot below flood stage at 15.89 feet. Lake Hodges, which was at 17% of capacity before the rains started in October, began to spill on the 21st. Mudslides again damaged roads and destroyed homes. The ground became too saturated to support some…

7. Dec 6, 1997Flash Flood$17.7 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A slow moving low pressure center off the coast, spawned late night showers and thunderstorms. The showers continuously developed off the coast, and moved inland over central portions of Orange County, starting before daybreak on the sixth, and lasting until the early morning hours on the seventh. Rainfall generally ranged from 4 to 8 inches across the area, resulting in widespread flooding. One observer in Mission Viejo reported 10 inches of rain from this event. The hardest hit area was the coastal plain southwest of the Santa Ana Mountains. It was the heaviest rain recorded in at least 70 years. Collapsing hillsides, and raging water, triggered flooding that forced scores of…

8. Jan 7, 2005Heavy Rain$15.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A storm lasting 5 days dropped heavy rain across all of southern California. Flash flooding and mudslides caused millions of dollars of damage to homes, businesses, vehicles, parks, roads and bridges. Broken pipes and excessive runoff spilled millions of gallons of sewage into area lakes, rivers, and beaches. The strawberry crop sustained serious damaged and Inland Empire dairy farms were significantly impacted by the heavy rains as well. A state of emergency was declared for all 4 counties in the San Diego CWA following the storm. Storm total rainfall was 31.75 inches at Lake Arrowhead, 29.70 inches at Lytle Creek, 19.86 inches at Devore, and 15.09 inches at Palomar Mountain.

9. Dec 22, 2010Flash Flood$12.3 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rain caused extensive flooding in downtown Laguna Beach with up to 4 feet of water on Broadway Street. Stranded motorists were rescued. The water also swept mud through homes, businesses and streets in the city. Approximately 184 businesses, homes and structures were damaged by the flooding. Sewer pumps were also damaged, resulting in the closure of about 12 miles of Orange County beaches, due to the pollution and waste entered into the storm runoff.

10. Feb 6, 1998Flood$4.3 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    An exceptionally strong westerly jet-stream aloft, and a deep upper-level trough of low pressure off the coast, steered a barrage of weather systems through southern California for several days. The action started off with high winds and then heavy rain on the sixth. Rainfall up to three inches caused widespread flooding, stranding motorists, and resulting in sporadic road closures. The most serious flooding occurred in Newport Beach and Irvine during the early afternoon. Several Newport schools had flooded classrooms and were evacuated. In Irvine, water and mud rushing through Bommer Canyon flooded 25 townhomes and a city park. Lightning also struck a home in Irvine, blowing out…

1. 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.

All-time high

114°FJul 6, 2018

All-time low

16°FJan 12, 1989

Warmest night

82°FSep 8, 2026

Coldest day

45°F2 times, most recently Dec 13, 1932

Wettest day

4.69 inFeb 16, 1927

Hottest year

2014mean 69.4°F

Coldest year

1948mean 60.6°F

Wettest year

194132.36 in

Driest year

20133.25 in

Station Santa Ana Fire Station (USC00047888), 135 ft elevation, 3.0 miles from the city centre. Daily records from 1916 to October 14, 2026; 97.3% 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.

Declarations for Orange County.

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.

• 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 USC00047888.
• 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.
• Tsunamis NOAA NCEI/WDS Global Historical Tsunami Database.
• 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.