Walnut Creek, CA Tornado History — 10 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Walnut Creek, CA had?
Walnut Creek has had 10 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950.
When was the most recent tornado near Walnut Creek?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Walnut Creek was an EF0 on April 7, 2011.
When is tornado season in Walnut Creek?
April is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Walnut Creek, with 2 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 Walnut Creek
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 2 total, averaging 0.1 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 Walnut Creek been fatal?
No fatalities are on record within 25 miles of Walnut Creek from any of the 10 tornadoes since 1950. NOAA Storm Prediction Center records.
Notable Tornadoes Near Walnut Creek
About Tornadoes in Walnut Creek
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.
Walnut Creek, California has experienced 10 tornadoes within a 25-mile radius since 1950, according to NOAA Storm Prediction Center records. This relatively modest total reflects the region's position along the Pacific Coast, where tornado formation is far less common than in the central and southeastern United States due to different atmospheric dynamics and the stabilizing influence of the Pacific Ocean.
The majority of recorded tornadoes in the area have been weak, with 9 rated EF0 and only 1 rated EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, which measures tornado intensity from EF0 (weakest) to EF5 (strongest). None of these events resulted in fatalities. The costliest tornado on record occurred on April 25, 1994, when an F0 tornado caused $27,500 in property damage along a 0.7-mile path with a maximum width of 30 yards. The widest tornado, reaching 150 yards across, touched down on December 6, 1998, traveling 1.5 miles but causing no reported property damage.
Tornado activity in the Walnut Creek area peaked during the 1990s, with 5 events recorded in that decade, followed by 3 in the 1980s and 2 in the 2010s. April has been the most active month historically, with 2 tornadoes on record, though tornadoes have also occurred during winter months. The longest-tracked tornado was an EF1 event on January 23, 2010, which traveled 1.6 miles with a narrow maximum width of just 2 yards and caused $25,000 in damage.
The most recent tornado occurred on April 7, 2011, when an EF0 tornado with a 10-yard maximum width traveled 0.1 miles and caused $26,000 in property damage. While tornadoes remain rare events in the Bay Area compared to other regions of the country, these records demonstrate that the phenomenon does occur occasionally in Northern California, typically producing short-lived, weak vortices with limited damage footprints.