Newport Beach, CA Tornado History — 42 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Newport Beach, CA had?
Newport Beach has had 42 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950.
When was the most recent tornado near Newport Beach?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Newport Beach was an EF0 on May 4, 2023.
When is tornado season in Newport Beach?
January is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Newport 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 Newport Beach
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 4 total, averaging 0.2 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 Newport Beach been fatal?
No fatalities are on record within 25 miles of Newport Beach from any of the 42 tornadoes since 1950, though 18 injuries have been reported. NOAA Storm Prediction Center records.
Notable Tornadoes Near Newport Beach
About Tornadoes in Newport Beach
This overview was written July 29, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
Tornadoes near Newport Beach are creatures of Southern California's cool season, spinning up when winter Pacific storms push instability and wind shear across coastal Orange County. On November 7, 1966, an F2 tornado tracked 10.3 miles on a path roughly 50 yards wide, injuring 10 people and causing $275,000 in property damage; a second, far briefer F2 and an F1 touched down that same day.
Another F2 arrived on November 9, 1982, carving a 10-mile path that widened to 1,300 yards and producing $2,750,000 in property damage, with an F0 and an F1 also recorded that day. Weak wintertime touchdowns recurred in the seasons that followed, including F1 tornadoes on December 7, 1992, and January 14, 1993, alongside brief F0s in 1991 and 1994.
More recent events have been weaker and short-lived: an EF0 on September 22, 2007, an EF1 on January 19, 2010, and EF0 tornadoes on February 23 and May 4, 2023 — quick spin-ups along the coastal strip where Pacific storm systems meet the Orange County shoreline.