Rancho Santa Margarita, CA Tornado History — 39 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Rancho Santa Margarita, CA had?
Rancho Santa Margarita has had 39 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950.
When was the most recent tornado near Rancho Santa Margarita?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Rancho Santa Margarita was an EF0 on October 8, 2022.
When is tornado season in Rancho Santa Margarita?
February is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Rancho Santa Margarita, with 8 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 Rancho Santa Margarita
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 8 total, averaging 0.4 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 Rancho Santa Margarita been fatal?
No fatalities are on record within 25 miles of Rancho Santa Margarita from any of the 39 tornadoes since 1950, though 8 injuries have been reported. NOAA Storm Prediction Center records.
Notable Tornadoes Near Rancho Santa Margarita
About Tornadoes in Rancho Santa Margarita
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.
Rancho Santa Margarita sits against the Santa Ana Mountain foothills of inland Orange County, and its tornado history reads like Southern California's rather than the Great Plains': short-lived funnels that spin up when winter and early-spring Pacific storms push unstable air across the county.
The dates bear that out. An F2 tornado struck on November 7, 1966, cutting a 0.2-mile path about 10 yards wide and causing $2,750 in property damage, and an F1 was confirmed in the area that same day. Cool-season touchdowns continued across the decades: F1s on March 17, 1977, and January 31, 1979; F1 tornadoes on December 7, 1992; and F1s again on November 11 and December 21, 1997.
The winter pattern broke in late spring 2008. On May 22, 2008, an EF2 tornado tracked 2.8 miles along a path up to 75 yards wide, injuring one person and causing $350,000 in property damage, while EF0 tornadoes were also confirmed that day and on May 23, 2008. Warm-season EF0s dot the record too — September 22, 2007; August 12 and September 9, 2012; and October 8, 2022 — a reminder that even outside the wet months, a passing disturbance can drop a brief tornado on this stretch of Orange County.