Tornado History

Fresno Tornado History

This county-level tornado history page focuses on Fresno, California. The records below identify 29 tornadoes from 1957 through 2020, including a highest listed rating of F2 (Considerable damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $3.3M, with 0 deaths and 3 injuries recorded across the listed events.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes29
Total Deaths0
Total Injuries3
Property Damage$3.3M
Avg Length0.8 mi
Avg Width26 yd

Key Tornado Facts for Fresno, California

Top local patterns from the historical tornado records in this group.

Average 0.5 tornadoes per year (0.5/yr in last decade)
March is the peak tornado month with 8 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: F1 in Fresno, California with 0 deaths
2000 was the most active year with 3 tornadoes
The 1990s had the most tornado activity (6 events)
Longest tornado: 5 miles in Fresno, California
Widest tornado: 100.0 yards in Fresno, California
Most tornadoes in one day: 3 on Feb 27, 2000

Monthly Distribution

Shows tornado frequency across months of the year, highlighting seasonal patterns and peak tornado periods.

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Summary: In Fresno, California, March is the most active month with 8 tornadoes.

Annual Tornado Trend

Shows year-by-year tornado counts, making active years and quiet stretches easier to spot.

3210

Summary: 2000 was the most active year with 3 recorded tornadoes.

Tornado Intensity Distribution

Shows the breakdown of tornadoes by EF/F rating.

F0
EF0
F1
EF1
F2
Unknown

Summary: F0 tornadoes are the most common in this group, with 14 recorded events.

Property Damage Trends

Visualizes reported property damage over time. Bars use a log-like scale so very large damage years do not flatten the rest of the chart.

$2.5M$250K$25K$0

Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 1980 with at least $2.5M in NOAA-listed property damage.

Historical Track Sketch

F2 March 22, 19621962F1 February 19, 19801980EF1 January 17, 20192019F1 February 14, 19981998F1 March 28, 19821982F1 March 8, 19861986F1 May 19, 19571957F1 April 22, 19671967EF1 September 5, 20202020F0 April 7, 20012001EF0 March 2, 20192019F0 November 26, 19971997F0 January 21, 19641964F0 April 5, 19751975F0 March 13, 1975F0 March 2, 1989F0 November 26, 1997F0 December 11, 1992F0 April 16, 1996F0 October 30, 1996F0 February 27, 2000F0 February 27, 2000F0 February 27, 2000F0 May 9, 2005EF0 January 18, 2010EF0 March 17, 2012EF0 February 12, 2018EF0 May 19, 2019Unknown March 14, 1979© OpenStreetMap contributors
This map covers the wider location—not your exact property.Measure the closest recorded track to a street address in or near Fresno, California.
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Notable Tornado Records

The table highlights the strongest and most damaging records in this page's local dataset. Damage totals are NOAA-reported minimum estimates where available.

DateRatingAreaLengthWidthDeathsInjuriesMin. property damage
March 22, 1962F2Fresno, California0.5 mi33 yd00$2K
February 19, 1980F1Fresno, California1.7 mi33 yd02$2.5M
January 17, 2019EF1Fresno, California0.25 mi20 yd00$500K
February 14, 1998F1Fresno, California3 mi20 yd00$100K
March 28, 1982F1Fresno, California5 mi20 yd01$25K
March 8, 1986F1Fresno, California4 mi50 yd00$2K
May 19, 1957F1Fresno, California0.1 mi33 yd00$30
April 22, 1967F1Fresno, California0 mi33 yd00N/A
September 5, 2020EF1Fresno, California1.12 mi25 yd00N/A
April 7, 2001F0Fresno, California0.3 mi10 yd00$150K
March 2, 2019EF0Fresno, California0.17 mi10 yd00$20K
November 26, 1997F0Fresno, California0.3 mi13 yd00$10K
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Related Location Pages

Source And Limits

Data sourced from NOAA Storm Prediction Center and the NCEI Storm Events Database. TornadoTrace summarizes reported weather events for screening and research; it is not a damage assessment, inspection, or insurance determination. Coordinates and records can be approximate, incomplete, revised, or missing. No warranty of completeness or accuracy.

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