Red Bluff
Population 14,404 (2025)
12 tornadoes have tracked within 25 miles of Red Bluff since 1950, 0 of them rated EF3 or F3 or stronger; the most recent was on January 3, 2025.
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 195012
- Wildfire burn scars within 25 miles since 198438
- Major flood years since 1978, Tehama County4
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 Tehama 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 Tehama County.
Strongest tornado
F2
September 24, 1986, 2.0 mile path
Tornadoes
About one every 6.3 years since 1950, none rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
Strongest
September 24, 1986
F2, 2.0 mile path
100 yards wide.
Most recent
Friday, January 3, 2025
EFU, 0.8 mile path
Within the past year.
Every recorded tornado
| Jan 3, 2025 | EFU | 0.8 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 25, 2021 | EF0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jan 4, 2021 | EF0 | 2.7 | 0 | 0 |
| Jan 4, 2021 | EF0 | 0.8 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 4, 2013 | EF0 | 0.8 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb 19, 2013 | EF0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 14, 1987 | F0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 24, 1986 | F2 | 2.0 | 1 | 0 |
| May 9, 1980 | F2 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 5, 1978 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 5, 1978 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 5, 1978 | F1 | 0.1 | 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
38 large fires burned within 25 miles since 1984.
Largest
August 17, 2020
August Complex, 1,067,970 acres
19.1 miles from the city centre.
Most recent
July 24, 2024
Park Fire
431,350 acres in total.
Every large fire
| Park | 2024 | 10.0 | 431,350 |
| Mcfarland | 2021 | 22.8 | 121,476 |
| Zogg | 2020 | 21.5 | 56,904 |
| August Complex | 2020 | 19.1 | 1,067,970 |
| Ranch | 2019 | 20.4 | 2,927 |
| Red Bank | 2019 | 20.6 | 8,174 |
| Sun | 2018 | 4.7 | 3,917 |
| Lane | 2018 | 22.2 | 4,040 |
| Apple | 2018 | 17.0 | 2,850 |
| Clover | 2013 | 22.5 | 8,262 |
| Deer | 2013 | 18.8 | 11,862 |
| Dale | 2012 | 23.8 | 1,439 |
| Tgu Lightning Complex (Antelope) | 2008 | 17.5 | 3,347 |
| Tgu Lightning Complex (Mill) | 2008 | 16.7 | 13,437 |
| Colyear | 2008 | 22.7 | 1,766 |
| Weinstein | 2000 | 24.6 | 7,976 |
| Jones | 1999 | 22.0 | 26,799 |
| Gun 2 | 1999 | 14.7 | 61,170 |
| Canyon | 1999 | 20.0 | 2,592 |
| Jellys 2 | 1999 | 8.3 | 1,702 |
| Tehama-Glenn Complex (Dehaven Gulch) | 1999 | 13.4 | 17,240 |
| Inks | 1999 | 7.5 | 6,193 |
| Spring | 1999 | 14.3 | 6,592 |
| Paskenta | 1999 | 1.7 | 1,010 |
| Unnamed | 1999 | 11.5 | 1,080 |
| Pellows | 1999 | 24.5 | 1,166 |
| Red | 1999 | 9.9 | 1,640 |
| Unnamed | 1999 | 14.6 | 1,246 |
| Manton 3 | 1998 | 17.6 | 1,379 |
| Powerhouse | 1998 | 22.3 | 1,705 |
| Barkley | 1994 | 20.6 | 44,235 |
| Hog 2 | 1992 | 9.7 | 1,439 |
| Finley | 1990 | 21.8 | 22,228 |
| Campbell | 1990 | 14.8 | 128,188 |
| Unnamed | 1990 | 18.1 | 1,649 |
| Unnamed | 1984 | 18.6 | 3,446 |
| Brushy | 1984 | 23.7 | 2,794 |
| Lowery | 1984 | 21.3 | 2,866 |
- 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
2021: 62 days
Heavy smoke on 45 days in 2020, the most of any year.
Last 10 years
26.0 days a year
Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.
2025
11 days
Medium or heavy smoke. 5 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
428 federal flood insurance claims since 1978, with $5.6 million paid.
Flood insurance figures are for Tehama County, the county that contains Red Bluff.
Most claims in one year
1983: 86 claims
$504,000 paid.
2nd most
1998: 75 claims
$526,000 paid.
3rd most
2014: 71 claims
$1.9 million paid.
Claims by ZIP code
| 96080 | 213 | $3.7 million |
| 96055 | 69 | $652,000 |
| 96090 | 69 | $556,000 |
| 96021 | 55 | $472,000 |
| 96022 | 8 | $197,000 |
| 6 | $26,000 |
Flood events since 1996
- Flood59
- Heavy Rain11
- Flash Flood8
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.
River crests
River gauges in Tehama County, the county that contains Red Bluff.
Most severe crest
February 28, 1940
Sacramento River above Bend Bridge, 38.90 ft
11.90 feet above the 27.0 ft flood stage; major flooding by today’s categories.
Most recent moderate or major crest
February 5, 2025
Sacramento River at Red Bluff Diversion Dam, 258.99 ft
Moderate flooding.
River gauges
| Sacramento River above Bend Bridge | 27.0 | 38.90 ft | 6 |
| Sacramento River at Red Bluff Diversion Dam | 255.5 | 258.99 ft | 0 |
| Sacramento River at Tehama Bridge | 209.5 | 218.51 ft | 1 |
| Sacramento River at Vina-Woodson Bridge | 183.0 | 188.69 ft | 0 |
- Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.
NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Drought
In severe drought or worse for 90 of 1,581 months since 1895 (6%); the longest spell lasted 11 months.
The drought index is for Tehama County, the county that contains Red Bluff.
90
Months in severe drought or worse since 1895
20
Months in extreme drought
6%
Share of all months, severe or worse
Lowest reading
July 2021
−5.65, extreme drought
Longest severe spell
11 months
November 2020 to September 2021.
Latest month
September 2026
−1.98, mild drought
Last severe month: November 2022.
- 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, volcanoes and landslides
29 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles since 1900; the largest was magnitude 5.5 in 1920.
263
Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973
29
Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900
3
Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900
Largest within 50 miles
March 20, 1920
33 km NW of Rancho Tehama Reserve, California; 24.9 miles away, 9.3 miles deep.
Most recent, magnitude 3 or more
July 2, 2026
Magnitude 3.9
15 km NNE of Alder Springs, CA; 35.6 miles away.
Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles
| Apr 4, 2024 | 4.1 | 49.8 |
| Jan 19, 2008 | 4.7 | 24.4 |
| Jan 19, 2008 | 4.5 | 27.3 |
| Feb 2, 2001 | 4.2 | 43.6 |
| Jun 25, 1999 | 4.0 | 13.2 |
| Nov 27, 1998 | 4.2 | 31.7 |
| Nov 26, 1998 | 4.6 | 31.7 |
| Nov 26, 1998 | 5.1 | 32.6 |
| Jul 21, 1998 | 4.5 | 32.5 |
| Oct 25, 1997 | 4.0 | 40.5 |
| Mar 27, 1997 | 4.4 | 17.6 |
| May 16, 1995 | 4.4 | 36.5 |
| May 2, 1995 | 4.1 | 49.1 |
| Dec 3, 1994 | 4.0 | 46.2 |
| Aug 28, 1987 | 4.3 | 28.3 |
| Sep 3, 1982 | 4.0 | 40.7 |
| Apr 28, 1968 | 4.8 | 49.9 |
| May 23, 1966 | 4.5 | 36.8 |
| Nov 13, 1950 | 4.5 | 44.5 |
| Nov 13, 1950 | 4.6 | 44.5 |
| Mar 22, 1950 | 4.6 | 45.1 |
| Mar 20, 1950 | 5.5 | 45.1 |
| Oct 24, 1941 | 4.6 | 46.7 |
| May 9, 1936 | 4.5 | 38.5 |
| Oct 29, 1930 | 4.5 | 38.2 |
| Apr 15, 1928 | 4.5 | 33.1 |
| Mar 20, 1920 | 5.5 | 24.9 |
| Apr 16, 1904 | 4.5 | 24.1 |
| Jul 24, 1903 | 4.5 | 48.3 |
- 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.
Volcanoes within 100 miles
| Lassen Volcanic Center | 44.5 | Very high |
| Mount Shasta | 85.4 | Very high |
| Clear Lake Volcanic Field | 87.8 | High |
- U.S. volcanoes within 100 miles, from the USGS Volcano Hazards Program. The threat category is the USGS 2018 National Volcanic Threat Assessment, which ranks volcanoes by how hazardous their past eruptions were and how many people and how much infrastructure lie near them. It is not a forecast of eruption.
USGS Volcano Hazards Program, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Mapped landslides
Landslides mapped in Tehama County.
8
Landslides mapped, probable or better
0
With a recorded date
1
Source inventory
Mapped by West Coast Slow Moving (Yuankun and others, 2021) (8).
- 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
145 events in the National Weather Service record for Tehama County, 132 of them since 1996.
15
Hail reports, 1 inch or larger
2
Hail, 2 inches or larger
4
Damaging gusts, 58 mph+
2
Winter weather events since 1996
4
Heat events since 1996
0
Cold events since 1996
Largest hail
January 23, 2016
3.00 inches
Strongest measured or estimated gust
January 13, 2016
96 mph
More event types since 1996
| Lightning | 1 | 0 |
| Debris flows | 1 | 0 |
Costliest events since 1996
- Sep 29, 2000Wildfire$547 million
National Weather Service narrative
A wildfire ignited five miles west of Red Bluff and strong winds and steep terrain made containment efforts difficult. Five out-buildings and one radio vault were destroyed and 8284 acres were burned before the fire was finally contained in early October.
- Jan 1, 2023Flood$14.2 million
National Weather Service narrative
Tehama County completed a preliminary estimate of damage from flooding. There was substantial flooding, with a rough estimate of $14 million in damages, mainly from 3 bridges, 1 completely destroyed by under cutting, two others under cut and sink holes, but still standing. Kirkwood Bridge $6,110,000.00 , Rawson Bridge $4,000,000.00. Remainder in trees, bridge clearing, road damage, labor $4,000,000.00||The city of Red Bluff estimated $60,000.00 bridge, trees, sandbags, labor (still climbing as they find more). The city of Corning estimated $100,000.00 road damage, creek and bridge clearing and labor. The city of Tehama estimated $27,000.00 road damage to East Gyle, tree clean up…
- Dec 3, 2014Flash Flood$6.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
There was flooding and impacts along Highway 99 from numerous creeks overtopping their banks in addition to earthen berm or earthen levee failures. There were issues on the following creeks: | Salt Creek (Overtopped at Highway 99 and Highway 36 location)| Antelope Creek (Private earthen berm failure at Rancho Ave))| Craig Creek (Overtopped near Craig Road and Rancho Ave)| Dye Creek (Over topped and earthen berm failure between Shasta blvd and 62nd Ave)|Highway 99 was closed from highway 36 to Aramayo Way for many hours (Wednesday evening through early Thursday morning) until the water receded and things could be cleaned up. There were 213 homes impacted from the flooding, with…
- Oct 1, 2000Wildfire$547,000
National Weather Service narrative
A wildfire that had ignited in late September west of Red Bluff continued to burn in early October. By the time the fire was contained, it had destroyed five out-buildings and one radio vault and had burned 8284 acres.
- Dec 11, 2014Flood$300,000
National Weather Service narrative
Multiple homes suffered flooding as Deer Creek flooded. Residents were forced to evacuate.
- Dec 11, 2014Flood$100,000
National Weather Service narrative
Two apartment buildings suffered flooding as a creek behind the buildings over topped. Residents were forced to evacuate.
- Feb 17, 2017Flood$50,000
National Weather Service narrative
Storms brought additional rain and widespread flooding and debris flows, as well as mountain snow.
- Jan 23, 2016Hail$30,000
National Weather Service narrative
Large amounts of hail fell and accumulated, 4 to 5 inches deep on I5 and adjacent local roads. The hail was up to an inch in diameter. The hail brought very slippery conditions, causing 3 vehicles to slide into the ditch. These vehicles needed to be towed. The hail also caused long traffic delays. Snow plows were required to plow the hail off of I5.
- Feb 19, 2013Tornado$20,000
National Weather Service narrative
The public reported a landspout tornado at approximately 1:30pm near Gerber, CA. This tornado touched down in a farmland south of Worthington Ave. and tracked from northeast to southwest, hitting the east side of a large barn and destroying the roofing structure of the eastern side. The tornado scattered the metal roof shingles and wood pieces up to 200 ft away to both the northeast and southwest. Based on damage, the NWS tornado survey rated it as an EF0 with an estimation of 74 mph. Images and video confirmed that this tornado was a landspout.
- Jan 16, 2019Flood$15,000
National Weather Service narrative
Heavy rains led to intense flooding in Red Bluff leading to 30 homes being evacuated on Aloha Street. Several homes did flood and evacuation orders were lifted at 1100 am.
- 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 Red Bluff Municipal Airport, 1.6 miles from the city centre, with records from 1934.
- All-time high
- 121°FAug 7, 1981
- All-time low
- 13°FDec 23, 1990
- Warmest night
- 87°FJun 22, 2017
- Coldest day
- 29°FDec 21, 1990
- Wettest day
- 3.87 inFeb 3, 1909
- Snowiest day
- 9.0 in2 times, most recently Dec 5, 1972
- Hottest year
- 2014mean 66.0°F
- Coldest year
- 1948mean 60.4°F
- Wettest year
- 198348.98 in
- Driest year
- 20135.41 in
- Snowiest season
- 15.5 in1972-73
Median first snow
January 7
Earliest: November 13, 1955
Median last snow
January 10
Latest: March 2, 1976
30 of 58 winters had no measurable snow.
Station Red Bluff Municipal Airport (USW00024216), 354 ft elevation, 1.6 miles from the city centre. Daily records from 1934 to October 27, 2026; 99.7% 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
25 since 1953. The most recent: Park Fire, July 25, 2024.
Declarations for Tehama County.
| Jul 25, 2024 | Fire | FM-5519-CA |
| Jan 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683-CA |
| Jan 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591-CA |
| Aug 24, 2021 | Fire | DR-4610-CA |
| Mar 22, 2020 | Biological | DR-4482-CA |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3428-CA |
| May 17, 2019 | Severe Storm | DR-4434-CA |
| Apr 1, 2017 | Flood | DR-4308-CA |
| Aug 19, 2012 | Fire | FM-5007-CA |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3248-CA |
| Aug 26, 2005 | Fire | FM-2580-CA |
| Sep 1, 1999 | Fire | EM-3140-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 |
| Jan 10, 1995 | Severe Storm | DR-1044-CA |
| Feb 3, 1993 | Flood | DR-979-CA |
| Feb 11, 1991 | Freezing | DR-894-CA |
| Feb 21, 1986 | Flood | DR-758-CA |
| Feb 9, 1983 | Coastal Storm | DR-677-CA |
| Jan 20, 1977 | Drought | EM-3023-CA |
| Jan 25, 1974 | Flood | DR-412-CA |
| Feb 16, 1970 | Flood | DR-283-CA |
| Jan 26, 1969 | Flood | DR-253-CA |
| Dec 24, 1964 | Flood | DR-183-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 USW00024216.
- 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.
- Volcanoes USGS Volcano Hazards Program, U.S. volcanoes and 2018 threat assessment.
- 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.