Windsor
Population 25,864 (2025)
13 tornadoes have tracked within 25 miles of Windsor since 1950, 0 of them rated EF3 or F3 or stronger; the most recent was on March 18, 2011.
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 195013
- Wildfire burn scars within 25 miles since 198420
- Major flood years since 1978, Sonoma County7
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 Sonoma 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 Sonoma County.
Strongest tornado
F2
June 1, 1958, 15.0 mile path
Federal disaster declarations
36
Most recent: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, 2023
DetailsTornadoes
About one every 5.8 years since 1950, none rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
Strongest
June 1, 1958
F2, 15.0 mile path
50 yards wide.
Most recent
Friday, March 18, 2011
EF1, 0.1 mile path
15 years ago.
Every recorded tornado
| Mar 18, 2011 | EF1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jan 27, 2005 | F1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 29, 2004 | F0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 5, 1998 | F1 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 23, 1996 | F1 | 6.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb 22, 1996 | F1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 2, 1992 | F1 | 7.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 2, 1992 | F1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 2, 1992 | F1 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb 27, 1983 | F1 | 0.8 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 10, 1964 | F1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb 17, 1959 | F1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 1, 1958 | F2 | 15.0 | 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
20 large fires burned within 25 miles since 1984.
Largest
August 17, 2020
Hennessey Fire, 314,015 acres
16.0 miles from the city centre.
Most recent
September 27, 2020
Glass Fire
67,971 acres in total.
Every large fire
| Glass | 2020 | 8.3 | 67,971 |
| Hennessey | 2020 | 16.0 | 314,015 |
| Meyers | 2020 | 20.0 | 2,459 |
| Wallbridge | 2020 | 4.7 | 55,152 |
| Kincade | 2019 | 1.4 | 77,724 |
| Snell | 2018 | 24.3 | 2,493 |
| 2017 | 12.6 | 18,674 | |
| Tubbs | 2017 | 2.6 | 36,946 |
| Nuns | 2017 | 11.9 | 56,839 |
| Sawmill | 2016 | 18.1 | 1,697 |
| Valley | 2015 | 15.2 | 77,446 |
| Butts | 2014 | 20.4 | 4,268 |
| Mccabe | 2013 | 16.4 | 3,330 |
| Geysers | 2004 | 9.5 | 12,068 |
| Pine | 2002 | 22.0 | 1,066 |
| Hidden | 2000 | 17.6 | 3,014 |
| Pge 8 | 1996 | 21.9 | 2,320 |
| Geysers | 1991 | 13.3 | 4,991 |
| Unnamed | 1988 | 14.5 | 5,071 |
| River | 1988 | 17.6 | 1,446 |
- 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: 45 days
Heavy smoke on 31 days in 2020, the most of any year.
Last 10 years
16.0 days a year
Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.
2025
2 days
Medium or heavy smoke. 3 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
7,403 federal flood insurance claims since 1978, with $132 million paid.
Flood insurance figures are for Sonoma County, the county that contains Windsor.
Most claims in one year
1995: 1,731 claims
$36.0 million paid.
2nd most
1986: 920 claims
$16.4 million paid.
3rd most
2019: 735 claims
$29.1 million paid.
Claims by ZIP code
| 95446 | 3,943 | $69.5 million |
| 95462 | 1,089 | $21.6 million |
| 95436 | 853 | $16.2 million |
| 94952 | 457 | $8.2 million |
| 95448 | 126 | $2.1 million |
| 95472 | 124 | $2.2 million |
| 95421 | 95 | $1.1 million |
| 95476 | 93 | $2.3 million |
| 95430 | 73 | $1.0 million |
| 95471 | 61 | $795,000 |
| 95401 | 52 | $912,000 |
| 95492 | 40 | $392,000 |
| 94954 | 38 | $1.5 million |
| 95442 | 38 | $954,000 |
| 95441 | 38 | $244,000 |
| 95425 | 33 | $363,000 |
| 95452 | 30 | $423,000 |
| 21 | $99,000 | |
| 95404 | 21 | $149,000 |
| 95465 | 20 | $209,000 |
| 95407 | 20 | $220,000 |
| 95486 | 16 | $118,000 |
| 94923 | 13 | $70,000 |
| 95403 | 11 | $142,000 |
| 95405 | 11 | $236,000 |
| 95466 | 10 | $243,000 |
| 95409 | 10 | $237,000 |
| 94922 | 9 | $18,000 |
| 94931 | 6 | $10,000 |
| 94928 | 5 | $1,196 |
| 95450 | 5 | $24,000 |
Flood events since 1996
- Flood256
- Flash Flood44
- Coastal Flood34
- Heavy Rain24
7 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.
River crests
River gauges in Sonoma County, the county that contains Windsor.
Most severe crest
February 18, 1986
Russian River at Guerneville, 49.50 ft
17.50 feet above the 32.0 ft flood stage; major flooding by today’s categories.
Most recent moderate or major crest
February 27, 2019
Russian River at Guerneville, 45.38 ft
Major flooding.
River gauges
| Adobe Creek at Manor Lane | 230.0 | — | 0 |
| Adobe Creek at Sartori Drive | 33.0 | — | 0 |
| Austin Creek near Cazadero | 21.0 | — | 0 |
| Colgan Creek near Santa Rosa | 106.0 | — | 0 |
| Colgan Creek near Sebastopol | 75.0 | — | 0 |
| Copeland Creek at Rohnert Park | 8.0 | — | 0 |
| Corona Creek at Sonoma Mountain Pkwy. | 44.0 | — | 0 |
| Dry Creek (Russian R.) near Geyserville | 15.0 | — | 0 |
| Dutch Bill Creek at Bohemian Highway and Tyrone Road | 102.0 | — | 0 |
| East Washington Creek at Garfield Drive | 66.0 | — | 0 |
| Green Valley Creek at Martinelli Road | 59.9 | — | 0 |
| Kelly Creek at Sunnyslope Road | 63.5 | — | 0 |
| Laguna de Santa Rosa at Stony Point Road NR Cotati | 84.0 | — | 0 |
| Laguna de Santa Rosa near Sebastopol | 69.0 | — | 0 |
| Maacama Creek near Kellogg | 14.8 | — | 0 |
| Mark West Creek near Mirabel Heights | 55.0 | — | 0 |
| Matanzas Creek at Santa Rosa | 173.3 | — | 0 |
| Petaluma River at Corona Road | 24.9 | 27.98 ft | 0 |
| Petaluma River at D Street Bridge | 8.4 | 6.38 ft | 0 |
| Petaluma River at Payran Street Bridge | 13.7 | — | 0 |
| Petaluma River at Shollenberger Park | 10.0 | — | 0 |
| Petaluma River at Twin Bridges | 36.0 | — | 0 |
| Russian River at Digger Bend NR Healdsburg | 25.4 | — | 0 |
| Russian River at Geyserville | 39.7 | — | 0 |
| Russian River at Guerneville | 32.0 | 49.50 ft | 15 |
| Russian River at Jimtown | 26.2 | — | 0 |
| Russian River near Healdsburg | 23.0 | 30.80 ft | 2 |
| Santa Rosa Creek at Santa Rosa | 41.0 | — | 0 |
| Santa Rosa Creek at Willowside Road NR Santa Rosa | 70.0 | — | 0 |
| Thompsen Creek at Sunnyslope Road | 76.0 | — | 0 |
| Wiggins Creek at Rainsville Road | 38.7 | — | 0 |
| Willow Brook at Old Redwood Highway Bridge | 40.7 | — | 0 |
| Willow Brook at Penngrove Park | 60.7 | — | 0 |
| Willow Brook at Stony Point Road | 37.7 | 37.13 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 94 of 1,581 months since 1895 (6%); the longest spell lasted 13 months.
The drought index is for Sonoma County, the county that contains Windsor.
94
Months in severe drought or worse since 1895
24
Months in extreme drought
6%
Share of all months, severe or worse
Lowest reading
July 2021
−5.44, extreme drought
Longest severe spell
13 months
September 2020 to September 2021.
Latest month
September 2026
−1.68, mild drought
Last severe month: August 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, tsunamis and landslides
96 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles since 1900; the largest was magnitude 6.0 in 2014.
1,162
Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973
96
Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900
5
Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900
Largest within 50 miles
August 24, 2014
The 2014 South Napa, California Earthquake; 35.1 miles away, 6.9 miles deep.
Most recent, magnitude 3 or more
September 25, 2026
Magnitude 3.7
10 km W of Boonville, CA; 48.6 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.
Tsunamis
Tsunami records for Sonoma County.
Highest water recorded
Mar 28, 1964
11.8 ft, Salmon Creek Beach, CA
From Prince William Sound, AK (magnitude 9.2 earthquake).
On record
4 tsunamis
Since 1957.
| Mar 11, 2011 | Honshu Island, M9.1 | 3.3 | 0 |
| Mar 28, 1964 | Prince William Sound, AK, M9.2 | 11.8 | 0 |
| May 22, 1960 | Southern Chile, M9.5 | 2.0 | 0 |
| Mar 9, 1957 | Andreanof Islands, AK, M8.6 | 1.0 | 0 |
- 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.
Volcanoes within 100 miles
| Clear Lake Volcanic Field | 29.6 | 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 Sonoma County.
11,728
Landslides mapped, probable or better
53
With a recorded date
4
Source inventories
Mapped by CA GS (11,695), NASA (24), USGS Conterminous (6), USGS CA SF Bay Dec 2022 - Jan 2023 (3).
- 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
813 events in the National Weather Service record for Sonoma County, 806 of them since 1996.
0
Hail reports, 1 inch or larger
0
Hail, 2 inches or larger
1
Damaging gusts, 58 mph+
1
Winter weather events since 1996
26
Heat events since 1996
13
Cold events since 1996
Largest hail
December 9, 2003
0.75 inches
Strongest measured or estimated gust
August 16, 2020
69 mph
More event types since 1996
| Rip currents | 4 | 2 |
| High surf and sneaker waves | 23 | 23 |
| Storm surge and tide | 3 | 0 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 |
| Dense fog and smoke | 25 | 0 |
| Debris flows | 67 | 1 |
Costliest events since 1996
- Jan 1, 2006Flood$104 million
National Weather Service narrative
The major flooding that began late in December continued into early January. Widespread low-land flooding across the county persisted with the hardest hit areas around the Russian River in Healdsburg and Guerneville. The Petaluma River also over-flowed its banks as did the Sonoma Creek. Total number of structures tagged by county officials with damage was 66 with property damage over $100 million.
- Dec 31, 2005Flood$104 million
National Weather Service narrative
Widespread low-land flooding occurred across Sonoma County with mainstem river gages along the Russian River remaining above flood stage for several days. Devastating flooding occurred near the Russian River in Healdsburg as well as Guerneville. The Petaluma River overflowed its banks as well, as did the Sonoma Creek. Approximately 66 structures were tagged by county officials as significantly damaged in the wake of the flooding. An average of 4 to 6 inches of rain fell over a 24 hour period, 2 days after 1 to 3 inches drenched the same area. The flood continued to affect the area into early January.
- Apr 1, 2006Debris Flow, North Bay Interior Valleys$14.4 million
National Weather Service narrative
Persistent heavy rainfall caused a massive number of landslides across the Sonoma and Marin County valleys area during the first half of April. About $20 million of damage was done to agriculture, with over $9 million spent in road repair damage in Sonoma County alone. Over $5 million worth of damage was done to single family dwellings in Sonoma - with lesser (but still substantial) amounts of damage experienced to businesses and public buildings. In Marin county the hardest hit areas were Mill Valley, Fairfax and San Rafael. In Mill Valley a man was killed after he was buried in a mudslide in his back yeard.
- Feb 3, 1998Flash Flood$5.0 million
- Feb 2, 1998Flash Flood$2.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
Flash Flood on Willow Brook at Stoney Point Road near Petaluma. 25 homes near the river were evacuated as well as 40 to 50 residents of a Mobile home park.
- Jan 25, 2001Lightning$1.0 million
- Dec 5, 1998Tornado$1.0 million
- Mar 25, 2011Debris Flow, North Bay Interior Valleys$855,000
National Weather Service narrative
In San Anselmo heavy rain and strong wind caused mudslides, trees to blow down and power poles to topple. The following are other damage reports from around the city. On Florence Road trees fell into the public right of way blocking the roadway and crushing a car. It also took down several PGE, cable and telephone poles. On Woodruff Ave, a mudslide traveled 1/4 mile down the road carrying structure debris and blocking a main intersection that accesses 12 homes. On Scenic Ave, a mudslide entered a roadway and wind blew down a few power poles. At 29 Summit Ave, a mudslide closed roads; caused water, gas and sewer lines to break and took out numerous trees. On Redwood Rd, the road…
- Jan 25, 2008Flash Flood$800,000
National Weather Service narrative
Very heavy rain caused flash flooding around Petaluma late Friday night, January 26th. The Petaluma River near Corona Road went over its flood stage of 25.5 feet reaching nearly 30 feet. At least a dozen homes were flooded as were several businesses.
- Dec 27, 2006Strong Wind, Coastal North Bay Including Point Reyes National Seashore$500,000
National Weather Service narrative
Strong winds - sustained at least up to 30 mph hit the Marin County Coast - causing a tree to fall on a restaurant.
- 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 Graton, 8.3 miles from the city centre, with records from 1926.
- All-time high
- 115°FSep 6, 2022
- All-time low
- 14°F2 times, most recently Dec 23, 1990
- Warmest night
- 71°FSep 3, 1961
- Coldest day
- 34°FDec 15, 1972
- Wettest day
- 6.95 inFeb 4, 1937
- Snowiest day
- 1.0 inJan 29, 1937
- Hottest year
- 2014mean 60.0°F
- Coldest year
- 1948mean 54.3°F
- Wettest year
- 198384.65 in
- Driest year
- 201312.63 in
Station Graton (USC00043578), 200 ft elevation, 8.3 miles from the city centre. Daily records from 1926 to October 6, 2026; 98.1% 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
36 since 1953. The most recent: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, April 3, 2023.
Declarations for Sonoma 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 27, 2020 | Fire | FM-5376-CA |
| Aug 22, 2020 | Fire | DR-4558-CA |
| Aug 18, 2020 | Fire | FM-5331-CA |
| Mar 22, 2020 | Biological | DR-4482-CA |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3428-CA |
| Oct 24, 2019 | Fire | FM-5295-CA |
| May 17, 2019 | Severe Storm | DR-4434-CA |
| Oct 10, 2017 | Fire | DR-4344-CA |
| Oct 9, 2017 | Fire | FM-5220-CA |
| Oct 9, 2017 | Fire | FM-5222-CA |
| Oct 9, 2017 | Fire | FM-5215-CA |
| Apr 1, 2017 | Flood | DR-4308-CA |
| Feb 14, 2017 | Severe Storm | DR-4301-CA |
| Sep 13, 2015 | Fire | FM-5112-CA |
| Jun 5, 2006 | Severe Storm | DR-1646-CA |
| Feb 3, 2006 | Severe Storm | DR-1628-CA |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3248-CA |
| Sep 4, 2004 | Fire | FM-2554-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 |
| Sep 13, 1994 | Fishing Losses | DR-1038-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 7, 1982 | Flood | DR-651-CA |
| Jan 20, 1977 | Drought | EM-3023-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 USC00043578.
- 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.
- 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.