Tornadoes in Santa Cruz County
The Storm Prediction Center records 8 tornadoes whose paths touched Santa Cruz County, California between 1965 and 2024. None of them is recorded as having killed anyone. The busiest month is December, with 4 tornadoes. The strongest was an F1 on 20 December 2001. The most recent was on 14 December 2024.
- 8tornadoes
- 0deaths
- 5injuries
- 180per 10,000 sq mi of land
A tornado that crossed several counties counts in each one, so county counts add up to more than the state's.
How strong were the tornadoes in Santa Cruz County?
| Rating | Tornadoes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| F0 / EF0 | 5 | 63% |
| F1 / EF1 | 3 | 38% |
| F2 / EF2 | 0 | 0% |
| F3 / EF3 | 0 | 0% |
| F4 / EF4 | 0 | 0% |
| F5 / EF5 | 0 | 0% |
| Unknown rating | 0 | 0% |
Santa Cruz County tornadoes over time
The 2020s only run to 2024, so that bar is for a shorter period. The record starts in 1950.
Show the numbers
| Period | Count |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 1 |
| 1980s | 1 |
| 1990s | 1 |
| 2000s | 1 |
| 2010s | 3 |
| 2020s | 1 |
Show the numbers
| Period | Count |
|---|---|
| Jan | 2 |
| Feb | 1 |
| Mar | 0 |
| Apr | 1 |
| May | 0 |
| Jun | 0 |
| Jul | 0 |
| Aug | 0 |
| Sep | 0 |
| Oct | 0 |
| Nov | 0 |
| Dec | 4 |
Records for Santa Cruz County
- Strongest: California tornado20 December 2001, F1, 0.5 miles long
- Longest path: California tornado22 December 2012, EF0, 1.1 miles long
- Most recent: California tornado14 December 2024, EF1, 5 injuries, 0.3 miles long
Many of these tornadoes killed or injured people. The numbers are the official record's, and they may be revised.