Santa Ana, CA Tornado History — 45 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Santa Ana, CA had?
Santa Ana has had 45 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950.
When was the most recent tornado near Santa Ana?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Santa Ana was an EF0 on March 13, 2025.
When is tornado season in Santa Ana?
January is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana
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 Santa Ana been fatal?
No fatalities are on record within 25 miles of Santa Ana from any of the 45 tornadoes since 1950, though 19 injuries have been reported. NOAA Storm Prediction Center records.
Notable Tornadoes Near Santa Ana
About Tornadoes in Santa Ana
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.
Santa Ana sits on the flat coastal plain of Orange County, where tornadoes tend to arrive not with spring supercells but with the cool-season Pacific storms that push ashore between late fall and early spring, and the city's tornado history is written largely in those months.
On November 7, 1966, an F2 tornado carved a 10.3-mile path about 50 yards wide through the area, injuring 10 people and causing $275,000 in property damage, with weaker tornadoes touching down the same day. Another F2 struck on November 9, 1982, spreading damage along a track 10 miles long and 1,300 yards wide and leaving $2,750,000 in property losses; that day, too, produced additional weaker touchdowns nearby.
Recent activity has stayed at the gentler end of the scale. An EF1 touched down on January 19, 2010, and 2023 brought a burst of activity — an EF0 on February 23, an EF1 on March 22, and EF0 touchdowns on May 4. An EF0 followed on March 13, 2025. The pattern for this coastal Southern California city is one of brief, mostly weak tornadoes spun up along winter storm systems, with stronger events like those of 1966 and 1982 standing as reminders that Orange County's tornado hazard, while modest, is real.