Hurricane History Map

Hurricanes that hit California: hurricane history

6 storms have passed within 50 km of California from 1963 to 1997, drawn on the map and coloured by intensity.

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Years1842 to 2026
Ocean basin

Choosing a minimum category hides storms with no wind speed in the record. To see which storms have passed near you, search a town or ZIP code, or tap the map.

Key
  • Tropical depression Winds below 34 knots (39 mph)
  • Tropical storm 34 to 63 knots (39 to 73 mph)
  • Category 1 64 to 82 knots (74 to 95 mph)
  • Category 2 83 to 95 knots (96 to 110 mph)
  • Category 3 96 to 112 knots (111 to 129 mph), major
  • Category 4 113 to 136 knots (130 to 156 mph), major
  • Category 5 137 knots (157 mph) or more, major
  • Unknown intensity No wind speed in the record
  • Post-tropical Storm has become post-tropical (dashed line)

How to read the lines. Each line is the track of one storm, drawn through its six-hourly positions and coloured by its intensity at each point (the Saffir-Simpson scale), so a line changes colour as the storm strengthens or weakens. Tap a line for its details, or tap anywhere else to see which storms have passed nearby. Weaker storms appear as you zoom in. Hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones are the same kind of storm with different names in different oceans.

Storms near California

The record holds 6 tropical cyclones whose tracks passed within 50 km of California between 1963 and 1997. The busiest month is September, with 5 of them. The strongest, measured where each came closest to the place, reached tropical storm strength.

  • 6storms within 50 km
  • 0major (category 3 to 5) near here
  • 0at category 1 strength or more

A storm counts once, however many times it came close. The category is the storm's strongest point within 50 km, which can be weaker than its peak elsewhere.

How strong were the storms near California?

Category near hereStormsShare
Tropical depression583%
Tropical storm117%
Category 100%
Category 200%
Category 300%
Category 400%
Category 500%
Unknown intensity00%

The agency behind most of the intensity figures here is the NOAA National Hurricane Center (HURDAT2, eastern Pacific).

California storms over time

Storms by decade
Bar chart of storms by period. The most is 3 in 1970s.1960s21970s31990s1

The 1990s only run to 1997, so that bar is for a shorter period. This place's record starts in 1963, and records before the satellite era (about the 1960s) are far less complete.

Show the numbers
PeriodCount
1960s2
1970s3
1990s1

Earlier decades hold fewer storms partly because they were harder to see. Before weather satellites (about the 1960s) many storms that stayed at sea went unrecorded, so compare decades with care.

Storms by month
Bar chart of storms by period. The most is 5 in Sep.Jan0Feb0Mar0Apr0May0Jun0Jul0Aug1Sep5Oct0Nov0Dec0
Show the numbers
PeriodCount
Jan0
Feb0
Mar0
Apr0
May0
Jun0
Jul0
Aug1
Sep5
Oct0
Nov0
Dec0

Strongest storms near California

  • Nora (1997)16 September 1997 to 26 September 1997, Tropical storm (55 kt) near here, peak Category 4 (115 kt), 950 hPa

Most recent storms near California

  • Nora (1997)16 September 1997 to 26 September 1997, Tropical storm (55 kt) near here, peak Category 4 (115 kt), 950 hPa
  • Norman (1978)30 August 1978 to 7 September 1978, Tropical depression (30 kt) near here, peak Category 4 (120 kt)
  • Doreen (1977)13 August 1977 to 18 August 1977, Tropical depression (25 kt) near here, peak Category 1 (65 kt), 979 hPa
  • Hyacinth (1972)28 August 1972 to 7 September 1972, Tropical depression (30 kt) near here, peak Category 3 (110 kt), 962 hPa
  • Emily (1965)30 August 1965 to 6 September 1965, Tropical depression (25 kt) near here, peak Category 1 (80 kt)

Many of these storms killed people and destroyed homes. The figures are the official record's, and this page says nothing about their human cost.

Notable storms near California with their own pages

  • Nora (1997)16 September 1997 to 26 September 1997, peak Category 4 (115 kt), 950 hPa
  • Hyacinth (1972)28 August 1972 to 7 September 1972, peak Category 3 (110 kt), 962 hPa
  • Norman (1978)30 August 1978 to 7 September 1978, peak Category 4 (120 kt)

California counties

Every county that a storm has come near is listed, most storms first. 1 of them have at least 3 storms and their own page.

CountyStormsStrongest near the county
Los Angeles County3Tropical depression
Imperial County2Tropical storm
Riverside County1Tropical storm
San Bernardino County1Tropical storm
San Diego County1Tropical depression

Other states

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