Madera, CA Tornado History — 30 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Madera, CA had?
Madera has had 30 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950.
When was the most recent tornado near Madera?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Madera was an EF0 on March 1, 2024.
When is tornado season in Madera?
March is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Madera, with 9 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 Madera
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 4 total, averaging 0.2 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Madera since December 29, 2025
These is a preliminary report, not confirmed tornadoes. It has not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and is not counted in the confirmed totals above.
Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete. Ratings are omitted until a survey assigns one.
Confirmed records above are complete through December 29, 2025. NOAA publishes the confirmed archive annually, so tornadoes after that date appear here first and move into the totals above once finalized.
Within 25 miles of Madera. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
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 Madera been fatal?
No fatalities are on record within 25 miles of Madera from any of the 30 tornadoes since 1950, though 2 injuries have been reported. NOAA Storm Prediction Center records.
Notable Tornadoes Near Madera
About Tornadoes in Madera
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.
Madera, California has experienced 30 documented tornadoes within a 25-mile radius since 1950, according to the NOAA Storm Prediction Center. This activity places the city in a region where tornadoes occur with moderate frequency, though the vast majority have been weak events. Of the recorded tornadoes, 23 were rated EF0 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, indicating wind speeds below 85 mph, while 6 reached EF1 intensity and only 1 attained EF2 strength.
The temporal distribution of tornado activity shows notable variation across decades. The 1990s saw the highest concentration with 12 events, while the 1970s recorded just a single tornado. The 1950s and 1960s each documented 3 tornadoes, the 1980s had 3, the 2000s recorded 4, and the 2010s saw 3 events. The current decade has thus far recorded 1 tornado. March stands out as the peak month for tornado activity in the area, accounting for 9 of the 30 total events, which aligns with the spring season when atmospheric conditions across California occasionally support rotating thunderstorms.
Remarkably, none of the tornadoes on record within 25 miles of Madera have resulted in fatalities. The costliest event occurred on January 15, 1995, when an F1 tornado caused $2,750,000 in property damage along a 1.0-mile path with a maximum width of 10 yards. The widest tornado on record was an F0 that touched down on February 28, 1958, reaching 90 yards in width along a half-mile path but causing no reported damage. The longest track belonged to an F1 tornado on February 14, 1998, which traveled 3.0 miles with a 30-yard width but also produced no documented damage.
The most recent tornado in the area was an EF0 event on March 1, 2024, which caused $50,000 in property damage along a 0.4-mile path with a maximum width of 10 yards and no injuries. While tornadoes in California's Central Valley are less frequent than in many other parts of the United States, the historical record demonstrates that the Madera area experiences these weather phenomena with enough regularity to warrant awareness and preparedness among residents.