Sutter County

Population 98,787 (2025) 603 sq mi

Large wildfires have burned 2,041 acres of Sutter County since 1984, 57th most of 58 counties in California; the largest was the Butte Fire Fire in 2018.

Hazard fingerprint for Sutter County Tornado: 17th percentile. Tropical: 0th percentile. Wildfire: 25th percentile. Flood: 23th percentile. Hail & wind: 1th percentile. Heat: 0th percentile. Cold: 0th percentile. Winter: 0th percentile. TORTROPFIREFLOODSEVEREHEATCOLDWINTER

Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed

2026
  • Tornado damage paths since 19506
  • Wildfire burn scars since 19842
  • Major flood years since 19785

At a glance

The record for Sutter County in eight numbers. Each links to its section below.

Acres burned since 1984

2,041

57th of 58 in California

2 large fires; the largest was Butte Fire, 2018

Details

Flood insurance claims

199

35th of 58 in California

$3.0 million paid since 1980

Details

Tornadoes since 1950

6

23rd of 58 in California

33% more than the typical California county

Details

Strongest tornado

EF1

October 22, 2012, 2.0 mile path

Largest earthquake within 50 mi

5.9magnitude

June 22, 1909, 36.2 miles away

Details

Federal disaster declarations

20

Most recent: Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, 2024

Details

Record high

114°F

September 7, 2022

Details

Record low

14°F

Reached 2 times, most recently December 16, 2022

Details

Tornadoes

About one every 13 years since 1950, none rated F3/EF3 or stronger.

Strongest

October 22, 2012

EF1, 2.0 mile path

100 yards wide.

Most recent

Saturday, February 2, 2019

EF0, 0.3 mile path

7 years ago.

Tornadoes by decade Doppler radar era² 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 2 2 2010s: 4 4 2020s: 0 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
Recorded tornadoes per decade. The 2020s are incomplete.
Tornadoes by month J: 0 F: 1 M: 2 2 A: 0 M: 1 J: 1 J: 0 A: 0 S: 0 O: 1 N: 0 D: 0 JFMAMJJASOND
By month of occurrence, all years.

Every recorded tornado

Tornadoes in Sutter County since 1950
Feb 2, 2019EF00.32000
Mar 26, 2014EF00.62500
Oct 22, 2012EF12.010000
Jun 1, 2011EF05.11000
May 9, 2005F01.0000
Mar 29, 2005F00.2000
  1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Sutter County: 0.
  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.

Hurricanes and tropical storms

No tropical storm or hurricane has tracked within 100 miles since records began in 1851.

Wildfire and smoke

2,041 acres burned in 2 large fires since 1984, equal to 0.5% of the land.

Largest

July 31, 2018

Butte Fire, 1,021 acres

1,023 acres inside Sutter County.

Most recent

July 31, 2018

Butte Fire

1,021 acres in total.

Acres burned since 1984, cumulative 1996: 1,0182018: 1,023 2,041 acres 198519901995200020052010201520202025
Running total of acres burned inside the county (line) and each year’s acres (bars).

Every large fire

Large wildfires since 1984
Butte Fire20181,0231,021
Unnamed19961,0171,016
  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

Smokiest year

2021: 59 days

Heavy smoke on 37 days in 2020, the most of any year.

Last 10 years

20.1 days a year

Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.

2025

3 days

Medium or heavy smoke. 5 so far in 2026.

Days with medium or heavy smoke overhead, by year 2011: 2 2012: 7 2013: 4 2014: 7 2015: 15 2016: 0 2017: 8 2018: 46 2019: 5 2020: 53 2021: 59 59 2022: 12 2023: 3 2024: 12 2025: 3 201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Days each year on which a satellite-traced plume of medium or heavy smoke covered the county’s population centre, 2011 to 2025.
  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.

Floods and flood insurance

199 federal flood insurance claims since 1980, with $3.0 million paid.

Federal flood insurance claims by year 1983: 7 1986: 25 1995: 30 1996: 8 1997: 37 37 1998: 37 2017: 33 19831998
Claims per year since 1980. Years with fewer than five claims are not shown.

Most claims in one year

1997: 37 claims

$1.8 million paid.

2nd most

1998: 37 claims

$174,000 paid.

3rd most

2017: 33 claims

$363,000 paid.

Claims by ZIP code

Flood insurance claims by ZIP code
9599160$425,000
9599338$164,000
9566821$407,000
9595720$1.5 million
9595318$122,000
9583711$189,000
9599210$33,000
956596$14,000
956745$49,000

Flood events since 1996

  • Flood14
  • Heavy Rain4

1 death 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

Most severe crest

March 1, 1940

Sacramento River at Tisdale Weir, 53.50 ft

1.90 feet above the 51.6 ft flood stage; minor flooding by today’s categories.

Highest river crests above flood stage
Mar 1, 1940Sacramento River at Tisdale Weir53.50+1.90Minor
Jan 3, 1997Sacramento River at Tisdale Weir53.10+1.50Minor
Feb 8, 1942Sacramento River at Tisdale Weir52.90+1.30Minor
Feb 20, 1986Sacramento River at Tisdale Weir52.66+1.06Minor
Feb 20, 1986Sacramento River at Verona42.11+0.81Minor
Jan 2, 1997Sacramento River at Verona42.09+0.79Minor
Jan 19, 1974Sacramento River at Tisdale Weir52.20+0.60Minor
Jan 3, 2006Sacramento River at Tisdale Weir52.04+0.44Minor
Jan 12, 1995Sacramento River at Tisdale Weir51.80+0.20Minor
Feb 27, 1958Sacramento River at Tisdale Weir51.76+0.16Minor
Feb 21, 1958Sacramento River at Tisdale Weir51.75+0.15Minor
Jan 20, 1973Sacramento River at Tisdale Weir51.70+0.10Minor
Jan 17, 1956Sacramento River at Tisdale Weir51.19−0.41Action
Dec 14, 1937Sacramento River at Tisdale Weir51.11−0.49Action
Dec 24, 1955Sacramento River at Tisdale Weir51.03−0.57Action
Mar 8, 2006Sacramento River at Tisdale Weir50.97−0.63Action
Mar 17, 1995Sacramento River at Tisdale Weir50.55−1.05Action
Feb 2, 1967Sacramento River at Tisdale Weir50.00−1.60Action
Jan 23, 1993Sacramento River at Tisdale Weir50.00−1.60Action
Feb 11, 2017Sacramento River at Fremont Weir37.78−1.72Action
Feb 11, 2017Feather River at Nicolaus44.66−2.34Action
Jan 24, 1969Sacramento River at Tisdale Weir49.00−2.60Action
Jan 11, 2017Sacramento River at Fremont Weir36.71−2.79Action
Dec 6, 1970Sacramento River at Tisdale Weir48.80−2.80Action
Feb 10, 1960Sacramento River at Tisdale Weir48.80−2.80Action

River gauges

River gauges and their highest listed crests
Feather River at Boyd's Landing65.059.24 ftJan 1, 20060
Feather River at Nicolaus47.044.66 ftFeb 11, 20170
Feather River at Yuba City Water Treatment Plant80.559.88 ftFeb 5, 20250
Sacramento River at Fremont Weir39.537.78 ftFeb 11, 20170
Sacramento River at Tisdale Weir51.653.50 ftMar 1, 19400
Sacramento River at Verona41.342.11 ftFeb 20, 19860
Sacramento River below Wilkins Slough52.7——0
  1. 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 188 of 1,581 months since 1895 (12%); the longest spell lasted 21 months.

188

Months in severe drought or worse since 1895

94

Months in extreme drought

12%

Share of all months, severe or worse

Lowest reading

June 2021

−8.73, extreme drought

Longest severe spell

21 months

March 2020 to November 2021.

Latest month

September 2026

−2.26, moderate drought

Last severe month: August 2022.

Months in severe drought or worse, by year 1895: 0 1896: 0 1897: 0 1898: 10 1899: 2 1900: 0 1901: 0 1902: 0 1903: 0 1904: 0 1905: 0 1906: 0 1907: 0 1908: 0 1909: 0 1910: 0 1911: 0 1912: 2 1913: 9 1914: 0 1915: 0 1916: 0 1917: 1 1918: 8 1919: 0 1920: 2 1921: 0 1922: 0 1923: 0 1924: 6 1925: 0 1926: 0 1927: 0 1928: 0 1929: 0 1930: 0 1931: 9 1932: 0 1933: 1 1934: 6 1935: 0 1936: 0 1937: 0 1938: 0 1939: 11 1940: 0 1941: 0 1942: 0 1943: 0 1944: 0 1945: 0 1946: 0 1947: 0 1948: 1 1949: 0 1950: 0 1951: 0 1952: 0 1953: 0 1954: 0 1955: 0 1956: 0 1957: 0 1958: 0 1959: 6 1960: 3 1961: 0 1962: 0 1963: 0 1964: 0 1965: 0 1966: 0 1967: 0 1968: 0 1969: 0 1970: 0 1971: 0 1972: 2 1973: 0 1974: 0 1975: 0 1976: 11 1977: 8 1978: 0 1979: 0 1980: 0 1981: 0 1982: 0 1983: 0 1984: 0 1985: 0 1986: 0 1987: 6 1988: 1 1989: 0 1990: 0 1991: 2 1992: 0 1993: 0 1994: 0 1995: 0 1996: 0 1997: 2 1998: 0 1999: 0 2000: 0 2001: 0 2002: 0 2003: 0 2004: 1 2005: 0 2006: 0 2007: 9 2008: 8 2009: 6 2010: 0 2011: 0 2012: 0 2013: 1 2014: 11 2015: 12 12 2016: 2 2017: 0 2018: 0 2019: 0 2020: 10 2021: 11 2022: 8 2023: 0 2024: 0 2025: 0 18951905191519251935194519551965197519851995200520152025
Months each year with a Palmer index of −3 or lower, 1895 to 2025. Twelve means the whole year.
  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.

Earthquakes and volcanoes

60 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles since 1900; the largest was magnitude 5.9 in 1909.

4

Magnitude 2.5+ inside the county since 1973

729

Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973

60

Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900

7

Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900

Largest within 50 miles

June 22, 1909

Magnitude 5.9

West of Downieville, California; 36.2 miles away.

Most recent, magnitude 3 or more

July 7, 2026

Magnitude 3.6

0 km W of Angwin, CA; 40.3 miles away.

Earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 miles, by year 1973: 1 1974: 4 1975: 251 251 1976: 27 1977: 20 1978: 6 1979: 1 1980: 20 1981: 6 1982: 20 1983: 3 1984: 4 1985: 17 1986: 12 1987: 6 1988: 5 1989: 10 1990: 5 1991: 10 1992: 16 1993: 16 1994: 9 1995: 10 1996: 17 1997: 20 1998: 9 1999: 12 2000: 6 2001: 6 2002: 11 2003: 12 2004: 10 2005: 6 2006: 11 2007: 10 2008: 3 2009: 2 2010: 11 2011: 6 2012: 8 2013: 8 2014: 8 2015: 6 2016: 10 2017: 7 2018: 4 2019: 6 2020: 4 2021: 9 2022: 7 2023: 6 2024: 7 2025: 3 19731978198319881993199820032008201320182023
Per year, 1973 to 2025.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

Earthquakes of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles
Jan 1, 20254.748.20.94 km NW of Cobb, CA
Sep 7, 20244.349.90.11 km ESE of The Geysers, CA
Jan 26, 20244.250.01.72 km N of The Geysers, CA
Oct 18, 20234.242.15.35 km SW of Isleton, CA
Jul 22, 20224.213.80.45km S of Oroville East, CA
Jun 28, 20224.248.20.32km WNW of Cobb, CA
Jun 2, 20224.149.511.57km NW of Bay Point, CA
Jan 17, 20184.249.51.11km NE of The Geysers, CA
Feb 20, 20174.248.80.83 km SSW of Cobb, California
Aug 9, 20165.146.09.020 km NNE of Upper Lake, California
May 21, 20154.137.98.05 km WSW of Moskowite Corner, California
May 5, 20124.250.01.14 km SW of Cobb, California
Feb 12, 20124.249.20.33 km SSW of Cobb, California
Oct 20, 20064.649.21.67 km NW of Cobb, California
May 9, 20054.349.9-0.34 km SW of Cobb, California
May 8, 20054.136.55.37 km SSE of Moskowite Corner, California
Dec 27, 20044.349.41.88 km S of Cobb, California
Feb 18, 20044.649.01.64 km WNW of Cobb, California
Sep 3, 20004.947.25.85 km WSW of Yountville, California
Oct 25, 19974.022.39.211 km E of Artois, California
Dec 4, 19964.349.91.34 km SW of Cobb, California
Feb 28, 19954.139.42.92 km NNW of Lower Lake, California
Jan 17, 19944.233.86.69 km E of Hidden Valley Lake, California
Sep 19, 19924.549.61.87 km NW of Cobb, California
Jun 21, 19894.348.312.34 km NE of Pittsburg, California
May 8, 19864.134.11.97 km W of Lodoga, California
Nov 12, 19854.148.9-0.65 km NW of Cobb, California
Sep 24, 19844.331.72.811 km ENE of Clearlake, California
Sep 3, 19824.039.98.02 km NNE of Elk Creek, California
Sep 8, 19784.214.66.44 km SSW of Monument Hills, California
Jul 5, 19764.19.03.03 km SSE of Palermo, California
Sep 27, 19754.615.65.21 km ENE of Oroville, California
Sep 25, 19754.013.75.62 km ESE of South Oroville, California
Aug 15, 19754.012.44.73 km SSE of South Oroville, California
Aug 10, 19754.313.11.25 km ENE of Palermo, California
Aug 8, 19754.914.95.03 km WSW of Oroville East, California
Aug 5, 19754.714.05.41 km E of South Oroville, California
Aug 2, 19754.113.63.34 km ESE of South Oroville, California
Aug 2, 19754.613.84.43 km ESE of South Oroville, California
Aug 2, 19755.212.00.94 km E of Palermo, California
Aug 2, 19755.112.81.15 km ENE of Palermo, California
Aug 2, 19754.014.30.13 km SSW of Oroville East, California
Aug 2, 19754.314.20.43 km SSW of Oroville East, California
Aug 1, 19754.110.51.41 km NW of Palermo, California
Aug 1, 19754.610.7—0 km ENE of Palermo, California
Aug 1, 19754.710.7—0 km ENE of Palermo, California
Aug 1, 19755.79.83.1The 1975 Oroville, California Earthquake
Aug 1, 19754.59.82.70 km WSW of Palermo, California
Aug 1, 19754.711.13.42 km NNW of Palermo, California
Sep 16, 19734.226.41.215 km SW of Esparto, California
Apr 28, 19684.814.09.38 km NW of Princeton, California
May 23, 19664.533.812.48 km NE of Chico, California
Apr 4, 19564.444.7—4 km W of Deer Park, California
Oct 24, 19414.619.5—3 km SE of Willows, California
Jun 22, 19095.936.2—West of Downieville, California
Mar 3, 19095.039.2—Nevada County, California
Feb 14, 19094.544.2—Near Rio Vista, California
Jul 30, 19044.524.3—Southwest of Woodland, California
Jul 24, 19034.514.4—Near Willows, California
May 19, 19025.433.0—South of Elmira, California
  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 county boundary (or inside the county).
  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.

Volcanoes within 100 miles

Volcanoes within 100 miles
Clear Lake Volcanic Field46.0High4,721
Lassen Volcanic Center82.2Very high10,456
  1. 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.

Severe weather and other events

33 events in the National Weather Service record, 33 of them since 1996.

4

Hail reports, 1 inch or larger

0

Hail, 2 inches or larger

1

Damaging gusts, 58 mph+

0

Winter weather events since 1996

0

Heat events since 1996

0

Cold events since 1996

Largest hail

May 5, 2016

1.25 inches

Strongest measured or estimated gust

February 2, 2019

58 mph

Costliest events since 1996

  1. Jan 1, 2006Flood$900,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A series of warm winter storms brought heavy rain, mudslides, flooding, and high winds to Northern California. - Levee overtopping, breaching, and river flooding occurred along the Feather and Sacramento mainstem rivers as well as along numerous smaller rivers, creeks, and streams. Several urban areas had significant street flooding. The Sacramento weir was opened for the first time since 1997 with twenty gates opened. - Transportation throughout the area was difficult during the course of the storms as airports were closed due to the high winds and major road closures resulted from flooding and mudslides. Interstate 80...the main artery between Sacramento and the San Francisco…

  2. May 9, 2005Tornado$85,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Damage to a commercial building and two residential out-buildings. Minor damage to several residences, property fences, and surrounding trees. Several plum (prune) trees were uprooted.

  3. Feb 2, 2019Tornado$5,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    National Weather Service meteorologists confirmed an EF0 tornado touched down at approximately 5:50 pm pst on Saturday, February 2nd, just south of Yuba City, CA. This tornado touch down was very brief as it tracked to the north northwest. Radar data and the damage pattern were used to confirm the touchdown. Several trees were knocked down and there was minor roof damage to a home. Leaves and branches were completely stripped off one side of a tree.

  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.

Weather records

From Colusa 2 Ssw, 20.8 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1948.

All-time high
114°FSep 7, 2022
All-time low
14°F2 times, most recently Dec 16, 2022
Warmest night
82°FJun 22, 2017
Coldest day
27°FDec 22, 1990
Wettest day
3.56 inFeb 2, 1998
Snowiest day
3.6 inJan 19, 1949
Hottest year
2017mean 63.7°F
Coldest year
2010mean 59.6°F
Wettest year
198335.68 in
Driest year
19764.20 in
Snowiest season
3.6 in1948-49
Average monthly high and low temperature and precipitation, last 30 years, Colusa 2 Ssw 32°F 56° 39° 3.2 Jan 61° 41° 2.9 Feb 68° 43° 1.8 Mar 75° 46° 1.1 Apr 83° 53° 0.7 May 90° 58° 0.2 Jun 94° 60° 0.0 Jul 93° 59° 0.1 Aug 90° 55° 0.2 Sep 80° 48° 0.8 Oct 65° 42° 1.7 Nov 56° 38° 2.9 Dec Precipitation, inches
Average daily high and low by month, and average monthly precipitation, over the last 30 years.
Days reaching 95°F per year 1975: 47 1976: 48 1977: 59 1978: 50 1979: 61 1980: 42 1981: 61 1989: 32 1990: 36 1991: 54 1992: 56 1993: 34 1994: 22 1995: 26 1996: 52 1997: 23 1998: 37 1999: 21 2001: 36 2002: 45 2003: 51 2004: 24 2005: 50 2006: 39 2007: 33 2009: 65 2010: 19 2011: 24 2014: 37 2015: 44 2016: 51 2017: 71 2019: 40 2020: 64 2022: 74 74 2023: 43 1975199220032016
Days reaching 95°F each complete year, last 50 years. Thirty-year average: 41.3.
Snowfall by winter 1974: 0.0 in 1975: 0.0 in 1976: 0.0 in 1977: 0.0 in 1978: 0.0 in 1979: 0.0 in 1980: 0.0 in 1982: 0.0 in 1983: 0.0 in 1984: 0.0 in 1985: 0.0 in 1986: 0.0 in 1987: 0.0 in 1988: 0.0 in 1989: 0.0 in 1990: 0.0 in 1991: 0.0 in 1992: 0.0 in 1993: 0.0 in 1994: 0.0 in 1996: 0.0 in 1997: 0.0 in 1998: 0.0 in 1999: 0.0 in 2000: 0.0 in 2001: 0.0 in 2002: 0.0 in 2003: 0.0 in 2004: 0.0 in 2005: 0.0 in 2006: 0.0 in 2008: 0.0 in 2009: 0.0 in 2017: 0.0 in 2022: 0.0 in 1974198519962006
Total snowfall each winter (July to June), last 50 winters.

56 of 58 winters had no measurable snow.

Station Colusa 2 Ssw (USC00041948), 50 ft elevation, 20.8 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1948 to September 30, 2026; 87.2% 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, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, April 13, 2024.

Federal disaster declarations
Apr 13, 2024Severe StormSevere Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disasterDR-4769-CA
Jan 14, 2023FloodSevere Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disasterDR-4683-CA
Jan 9, 2023FloodSevere Winter Storms, Flooding, and MudslidesEmergencyEM-3591-CA
Mar 22, 2020BiologicalCovid-19 PandemicMajor disasterDR-4482-CA
Mar 13, 2020BiologicalCovid-19EmergencyEM-3428-CA
Apr 1, 2017FloodSevere Winter Storms, Flooding, and MudslidesMajor disasterDR-4308-CA
Feb 14, 2017Severe StormSevere Winter Storms, Flooding, and MudslidesMajor disasterDR-4301-CA
Feb 14, 2017Dam/Levee BreakPotential Failure of the Emergency Spillway at Oroville LakeEmergencyEM-3381-CA
Feb 3, 2006Severe StormSevere Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and LandslidesMajor disasterDR-1628-CA
Sep 13, 2005HurricaneHurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergencyEM-3248-CA
Feb 9, 1998Severe StormSevere Winter Storms and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1203-CA
Jan 4, 1997Severe StormSevere Storms, Flooding, Mud and LandslidesMajor disasterDR-1155-CA
Mar 12, 1995Severe StormSevere Winter Storms, Flooding Landslides, Mud FlowMajor disasterDR-1046-CA
Jan 10, 1995Severe StormSevere Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, Mud FlowsMajor disasterDR-1044-CA
Feb 11, 1991FreezingSevere FreezeMajor disasterDR-894-CA
Feb 21, 1986FloodSevere Storms & FloodingMajor disasterDR-758-CA
Feb 9, 1983Coastal StormCoastal Storms, Floods, Slides & TornadoesMajor disasterDR-677-CA
Jan 20, 1977DroughtDroughtEmergencyEM-3023-CA
Feb 16, 1970FloodSevere Storms & FloodingMajor disasterDR-283-CA
Dec 24, 1964FloodHeavy Rains & FloodingMajor disasterDR-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.

How this compares

Where Sutter County stands among 58 counties in California and 3,143 in the United States.

Ranks
Tornadoes since 1950623 / 582,542 / 3,143
Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger0——
Tropical cyclones within 50 mi0——
Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi0——
Wildfire acres since 19842,04157 / 581,169 / 3,143
Flood insurance claims19935 / 58930 / 3,143
Flood insurance paid$3.0 million35 / 58965 / 3,143
Disaster declarations2044 / 581,524 / 3,143
Flood events since 19961857 / 582,594 / 3,143
Hail and wind events since 1996554 / 583,117 / 3,143
Winter storm events since 19960——
Reported damage since 1996$990,00057 / 582,950 / 3,143
River crests at major flood stage0——
High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years0.0——
Months in severe drought since 189518825 / 58385 / 3,143
Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years20.116 / 581,026 / 3,143
Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 19006058 / 58154 / 3,143
Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 1973455 / 58505 / 3,143

Neighbouring counties

Neighbouring counties
Butte County180580,797335
Colusa County40167,426160
Placer County60183,305628
Sacramento County16011,5803,864
Yolo County40221,331340
Yuba County4038,607320

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 USC00041948.
  • 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.
  • 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.