El Cerrito, CA Tornado History — 7 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has El Cerrito, CA had?
El Cerrito has had 7 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950.
When was the most recent tornado near El Cerrito?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of El Cerrito was an EF0 on April 7, 2011.
When is tornado season in El Cerrito?
April is historically the peak month for tornadoes near El Cerrito, with 2 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 El Cerrito
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 1 total, averaging 0.1 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 El Cerrito been fatal?
No fatalities are on record within 25 miles of El Cerrito from any of the 7 tornadoes since 1950. NOAA Storm Prediction Center records.
Notable Tornadoes Near El Cerrito
About Tornadoes in El Cerrito
This overview was written April 23, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
El Cerrito, California, located in the San Francisco Bay Area, has experienced seven documented tornadoes within a 25-mile radius since 1950, according to the NOAA Storm Prediction Center. This relatively modest total reflects the region's distance from the nation's most tornado-prone areas, though the Bay Area does occasionally produce weak tornadoes under specific atmospheric conditions.
The majority of these events have been minor, with five rated EF0 and two rated EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, which classifies tornadoes based on wind speed and damage. The Enhanced Fujita scale ranges from EF0 (65–85 mph winds) to EF5 (over 200 mph winds), and all recorded tornadoes near El Cerrito have fallen into the weakest two categories. Notably, none of the seven tornadoes on record resulted in any fatalities, underscoring their generally limited intensity and impact.
Tornado activity in the area has been sporadic across the decades. One tornado occurred in the 1950s, two in the 1980s, two in the 1990s, one in the 2000s, and one in the 2010s. April has been the most active month, accounting for two of the seven events. The costliest tornado on record struck on April 1, 1958, causing $27,500 in property damage with a path length of 0.2 miles and a maximum width of 67 yards. The longest-tracked tornado occurred on March 20, 2005, traveling three miles with a path width of 30 yards and causing only one dollar in reported damage. The widest tornado, recorded on December 6, 1998, reached 150 yards across and traveled 1.5 miles, though it caused no property damage.
The most recent tornado near El Cerrito occurred on April 7, 2011, rated EF0 with a brief 0.1-mile path and maximum width of just 10 yards. It caused $26,000 in property damage but no injuries. While tornadoes remain rare events in the Bay Area compared to the central United States, these records demonstrate that the region is not entirely immune to such phenomena.