Bell Gardens, CA Tornado History — 57 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Bell Gardens, CA had?
Bell Gardens has had 57 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950.
When was the most recent tornado near Bell Gardens?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Bell Gardens was an EF0 on March 13, 2025.
When is tornado season in Bell Gardens?
January is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Bell Gardens, with 12 on record. Spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Bell Gardens
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 7 total, averaging 0.3 per year over this window.
Tornadoes by Decade
Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating
F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.
Tornadoes by Month
Have any tornadoes near Bell Gardens been fatal?
No fatalities are on record within 25 miles of Bell Gardens from any of the 57 tornadoes since 1950, though 50 injuries have been reported. NOAA Storm Prediction Center records.
Notable Tornadoes Near Bell Gardens
About Tornadoes in Bell Gardens
This overview was written July 28, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
Bell Gardens sits on the flat coastal plain of southeastern Los Angeles County, between the channels of the Rio Hondo and the Los Angeles River, and its tornado dates tell a distinctly Southern California story: they cluster from late autumn through early spring, when Pacific storm systems push across the Los Angeles Basin.
On March 1, 1983, an F2 tornado carved a 3.5-mile path roughly 100 yards wide through the area, injuring 30 people and causing $27.5 million in property damage. Just months before, on November 9, 1982, two F2 tornadoes touched down on the same day — one tracked 10 miles with a swath reaching 1,300 yards across — and each caused $2.75 million in damage. The cool-season pattern reaches back further still: on November 7, 1966, an F2 followed a 10.3-mile track through the corridor, injuring 10 people.
The Enhanced Fujita era has brought gentler visits. An EF1 touched down on January 19, 2010, and another EF1 struck on March 22, 2023, during an active stretch that year which also saw an EF0 on February 23 and a pair of EF0s on May 4. And on March 13, 2025, an EF0 passed through — a reminder that in a region better known for sunshine, the storms of winter and early spring can still spin up a tornado.