Huntington Beach, CA Tornado History — 47 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Huntington Beach, CA had?
Huntington Beach has had 47 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950.
When was the most recent tornado near Huntington Beach?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Huntington Beach was an EF0 on March 13, 2025.
When is tornado season in Huntington Beach?
January is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Huntington Beach, with 10 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 Huntington Beach
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 Huntington Beach been fatal?
No fatalities are on record within 25 miles of Huntington Beach from any of the 47 tornadoes since 1950, though 19 injuries have been reported. NOAA Storm Prediction Center records.
Notable Tornadoes Near Huntington Beach
About Tornadoes in Huntington Beach
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.
Huntington Beach, California, experiences tornadoes far more frequently than many residents might expect for a coastal Southern California city. According to the NOAA Storm Prediction Center, 47 tornadoes have been recorded within 25 miles of Huntington Beach since 1950, with the vast majority rated EF0 or EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale. These events are typically brief, weak tornadoes associated with winter storm systems moving through the region rather than the classic supercell thunderstorms common in other parts of the United States.
The temporal distribution of these tornadoes reveals distinct patterns. Activity peaked notably during the 1990s with 17 recorded events, while the 1980s saw 8 tornadoes and the 1960s recorded 7. More recent decades have seen reduced activity, with only 1 tornado in the 2010s, though 5 have already occurred in the 2020s. January stands out as the peak month with 10 tornadoes on record, reflecting the influence of winter storm systems that can spawn weak tornadoes along the California coast when atmospheric conditions align.
By intensity, 25 tornadoes were rated EF0, 18 were rated EF1, and 4 reached EF2 strength. Remarkably, no tornado within the search radius has resulted in a recorded fatality. The costliest event occurred on January 18, 1993, when an F0 tornado caused $2.75 million in property damage despite traveling only 0.1 miles with a maximum width of just 10 yards. The widest tornado on record was an F2 that occurred on November 9, 1982, reaching 1,300 yards in width and traveling 10 miles, while the longest-track tornado was an F1 on March 17, 1977 that covered 10.9 miles.
The most recent tornado struck on March 13, 2025, an EF0 event that traveled 1 mile with a maximum width of 80 yards and caused no reported damage or injuries. This event serves as a reminder that while California tornadoes are generally weaker and less frequent than those in the central United States, they remain a documented meteorological phenomenon in the Huntington Beach area, particularly during the winter and early spring months.