Tornado History
Santa Cruz Tornado History
This county-level tornado history page focuses on Santa Cruz, California. The records below identify 8 tornadoes from 1965 through 2024, including a highest listed rating of F1 (Moderate damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $343K, with 0 deaths and 5 injuries recorded across the listed events.
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Key Tornado Statistics
Key Tornado Facts for Santa Cruz, California
Top local patterns from the historical tornado records in this group.
Average 0.1 tornadoes per year (0.3/yr in last decade)
December is the peak tornado month with 4 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: F1 in Santa Cruz, California with 0 deaths
2019 was the most active year with 2 tornadoes
The 2010s had the most tornado activity (3 events)
Longest tornado: 1.07 miles in Santa Cruz, California
Widest tornado: 100.0 yards in Santa Cruz, California
Most tornadoes in one day: 2 on Jan 6, 2019
Monthly Distribution
Shows tornado frequency across months of the year, highlighting seasonal patterns and peak tornado periods.
Summary: In Santa Cruz, California, December is the most active month with 4 tornadoes.
Annual Tornado Trend
Shows year-by-year tornado counts, making active years and quiet stretches easier to spot.
Summary: 2019 was the most active year with 2 recorded tornadoes.
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.
Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 2001 with at least $250K in NOAA-listed property damage.
Historical Track Sketch
This map covers the wider location—not your exact property.Measure the closest recorded track to a street address in or near Santa Cruz, 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.
| Date | Rating | Area | Length | Width | Deaths | Injuries | Min. property damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 20, 2001 | F1 | Santa Cruz, California | 0.5 mi | 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K |
| December 14, 2024 | EF1 | Santa Cruz, California | 0.31 mi | 30 yd | 0 | 5 | $10 |
| April 1, 1965 | F1 | Santa Cruz, California | 0.1 mi | 100 yd | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| December 5, 1998 | F0 | Santa Cruz, California | 1 mi | 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| December 22, 2012 | EF0 | Santa Cruz, California | 1.07 mi | 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $40K |
| February 3, 1986 | F0 | Santa Cruz, California | 0.2 mi | 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| January 6, 2019 | EF0 | Santa Cruz, California | 0.07 mi | 6.67 yd | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| January 6, 2019 | EF0 | Santa Cruz, California | 0.54 mi | 6.67 yd | 0 | 0 | N/A |
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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.