Tornado History

San Diego Tornado History

This county-level tornado history page focuses on San Diego, California. The records below identify 27 tornadoes from 1956 through 2019, including a highest listed rating of F1 (Moderate damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $1.1M, with 0 deaths and 4 injuries recorded across the listed events.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes27
Total Deaths0
Total Injuries4
Property Damage$1.1M
Avg Length0.6 mi
Avg Width43 yd

Key Tornado Facts for San Diego, California

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

Average 0.4 tornadoes per year (0.1/yr in last decade)
February is the peak tornado month with 8 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: F1 in San Diego, California with 0 deaths
2005 was the most active year with 3 tornadoes
The 1990s had the most tornado activity (9 events)
Longest tornado: 3 miles in San Diego, California
Widest tornado: 440.0 yards in San Diego, California
Most tornadoes in one day: 2 on Feb 19, 2005

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 San Diego, California, February 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: 2005 was the most active year with 3 recorded tornadoes.

Tornado Intensity Distribution

Shows the breakdown of tornadoes by EF/F rating.

F0
EF0
F1
Unknown
EFU

Summary: F0 tornadoes are the most common in this group, with 17 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.

$250K$25K$2K$0

Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 1985 with at least $250K in NOAA-listed property damage.

Historical Track Sketch

F1 March 19, 19911991F1 November 10, 20002000F1 April 13, 19561956F1 October 8, 19611961F1 February 20, 19801980F1 March 27, 19911991F1 January 29, 19981998F0 February 4, 19851985F0 January 14, 19901990F0 February 19, 20052005F0 February 15, 19921992F0 July 12, 19991999F0 February 19, 20052005F0 March 11, 20062006F0 October 17, 2004F0 December 7, 1992F0 March 10, 2006EF0 September 22, 2007F0 October 29, 1974F0 January 18, 1979F0 February 23, 1971F0 March 17, 1982F0 May 20, 1997F0 February 9, 1998F0 February 23, 2005Unknown December 18, 1978EFU April 22, 2019© OpenStreetMap contributors
This map covers the wider location—not your exact property.Measure the closest recorded track to a street address in or near San Diego, California.
Measure distance free

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 19, 1991F1San Diego, California1 mi440 yd00$250K
November 10, 2000F1San Diego, California0.4 mi30 yd00$73K
April 13, 1956F1San Diego, California0.1 mi20 yd01$25K
October 8, 1961F1San Diego, California0 mi33 yd03$25K
February 20, 1980F1San Diego, California0.1 mi33 yd00$25K
March 27, 1991F1San Diego, California0.2 mi10 yd00N/A
January 29, 1998F1San Diego, California0.5 mi40 yd00N/A
February 4, 1985F0San Diego, California0.1 mi17 yd00$250K
January 14, 1990F0San Diego, California0.1 mi10 yd00$250K
February 19, 2005F0San Diego, California2.5 mi25 yd00$50K
February 15, 1992F0San Diego, California0.5 mi20 yd00$25K
July 12, 1999F0San Diego, California0.1 mi30 yd00$25K
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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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