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Santa Cruz storm history

Storm events recorded in Santa Cruz, California between 1950 and 2025.

212
Total events
8
Tornadoes
21
Hail
95
Floods
9
Deaths
$47.3M
Property damage

Most significant events

Strongest tornadoes, deadliest events, and biggest damage in this county. Up to 50 shown.

November 30, 2012 · Santa Cruz, California
Flood Flood1 death
A man drowned in the waters of Soquel Creek in Capitola during a heavy rainstorm that produced minor flooding of the creek. He drowned in a section of the creek in Perry Park at the rear of a grocery store on 809 Bay Avenue in Capitola.
March 18, 2012 · Santa Cruz, California
Heavy Rain Heavy Rain1 death
A 35 year old man crashed his Volkswagon Touareg on the onramp to southbound Highway 1 at State Park Drive about 12:45 am.
March 16, 2012 · Santa Cruz, California
Heavy Rain Heavy Rain1 death, 3 injuries
A fatal accident on the southbound lanes on SR 17 at Laurel Curve due to heavy rain. A 57 year old man lost control of his Nissan Sentra which slid from the southbound lanes into northbound traffic at 10:45 am. The Nissan struck a Chevy Suburban, spun around backward and bashed i…
March 13, 2012 · Santa Cruz, California
Heavy Rain Heavy Rain1 death
A fatal traffic accident as a 21 year old male died in a solo crash into a tree on Graham Hill Road early in the morning.
February 15, 2009 · Santa Cruz, California
Flood Flood1 death
A fatal accident occurred just after 4:00 p.m. on northbound Highway 1 near Rio Del Mar Boulevard when a car spun out on the wet highway, went over an embankment and struck a tree. The 29-year-old male driver sustained minor injuries while the 27-year-old female passenger was fat…
December 15, 2008 · Santa Cruz, California
Heavy Rain Heavy Rain1 death
A wet mountain road caused a man to veer off highway 152 near Watsonville resulting in his death.
October 28, 1999 · Santa Cruz, California
Storm Surge/Tide Storm Surge/Tide2 deaths, 2 injuries, $1.0M damage
February 2, 1998 · Santa Cruz, California
Flash Flood Flash Flood1 death
Flash flood po San Lorenzo River from Felton to Santa Cruz.
January 19, 2017 · Santa Cruz, California
Hail Hail$5.0M damage
Damage dollar amounts is a low estimate. Impacts are not fully known, but any individual car crash would likely exceed this amount.
March 24, 2011 · Santa Cruz, California
Flash Flood Flash Flood$15.5M damage
Heavy rain overwhelmed a drainage pipe that runs underneath Pacific Cove Mobile Home Park, and then cascaded down Riverview Drive into the village causing damage to homes and businesses.
March 24, 2011 · Santa Cruz, California
Heavy Rain Heavy Rain$9.8M damage
Officials in Santa Cruz County are estimating that heavy rain caused $8.3 million in damage to unincorporated areas of the County, including a slide near Scotts Valley that cut off access to more than 30 homes. Damage to the City of Santa Cruz is estimated at $1.5 million.
October 13, 2009 · Santa Cruz, California
Flash Flood Flash Flood$3.0M damage
A debris flow initiated in a seasonal stream bed rushing hundreds of feet downhill into a driveway and home on Upper Highland Road near Eureka Canyon Road. A car and one side of a home were buried in about nine feet of rock, dirt, wood chunks and water. The home was severely dama…
January 1, 2006 · Santa Cruz, California
Flood Flood$2.5M damage
December 31, 2005 · Santa Cruz, California
Flood Flood$2.5M damage
January 11, 2001 · Santa Cruz, California
Flood Flood$2.0M damage
February 13, 2000 · Santa Cruz, California
Flash Flood Flash Flood$2.0M damage
December 25, 2025 · Santa Cruz, California
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
The weather station at the O'Neill Sea Odyssey near Santa Cruz Harbor reported a gust of 91 mph. Damage to boats was reported within the harbor.
December 25, 2025 · Santa Cruz, California
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A tree was reported down on all lanes of California Highway 9 at Douglas Avenue.
November 13, 2025 · Santa Cruz, California
Flood Flood
Water flowing over the road near the San Andreas Road/Playa Boulevard intersection.
February 13, 2025 · Santa Cruz, California
Flood Flood
Around 6 inches of standing water were reported on northbound California Highway 1 at Morrissey Boulevard.
February 13, 2025 · Santa Cruz, California
Debris Flow Debris Flow
A debris slide caused the hard closure of Lodge Road off of Big Basin Way.
February 13, 2025 · Santa Cruz, California
Flood Flood
Roadway flooding caused a closure of Paulsen Road near Interlaken, with at least one vehicle reported stuck in water.
February 13, 2025 · Santa Cruz, California
Flood Flood
The bridge carrying California Highway 9 over the San Lorenzo River near Brookdale was flooded.
February 4, 2025 · Santa Cruz, California
Flood Flood
A slide partially blocked the northbound lanes of State Route 9 at Santa Cruz County mile marker 24.
December 29, 2024 · Santa Cruz, California
Flood Flood
Mud, dirt, and rocks were blocking half of the southbound lane of State Highway 9 near Paradise Park.
December 29, 2024 · Santa Cruz, California
Flood Flood
Rock slide partially blocking northbound Big Basin Way at Little Basin Road.
December 14, 2024 · Santa Cruz, California
Tornado EF1 Tornado5 injuries
A Special Weather Statement was issued at 1:07 PM, followed by a Severe Thunderstorm Warning at 1:25 PM, for a strong thunderstorm that impacted western Santa Cruz County. Following the impact, social media videos and reports indicated that a tornado briefly touched down in the S…
November 22, 2024 · Santa Cruz, California
Flood Flood
Roadway flooding was reported at the junction of Green Valley Road and Paulsen Road.
April 4, 2024 · Santa Cruz, California
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A large pine tree was blown down near Soquel.
March 2, 2024 · Santa Cruz, California
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A NWS survey team found tree damage consistent with 70-80 mph straight line winds in the vicinity of Larkin Valley Road and Larkin Vista Lane.
February 19, 2024 · Santa Cruz, California
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A 3 foot diameter tree fell onto the roadway at California Route 236 and China Grade Road.
February 1, 2024 · Santa Cruz, California
Flood Flood
Paulsen Road was closed approximately a mile south of Green Valley Road due to flooding.
January 22, 2024 · Santa Cruz, California
Flood Flood
Street flooding was reported near High Street in Santa Cruz.
January 22, 2024 · Santa Cruz, California
Flood Flood
Standing water was reported across all lanes of Northbound California 1 at Morrissey Boulevard.
January 22, 2024 · Santa Cruz, California
Flood Flood
A landslide was reported near Felton Empire Road and Fetherston Way.
January 22, 2024 · Santa Cruz, California
Flood Flood
Roadway flooding was reported at CA Highway 1 Southbound at Scott Creek. Water was reported across both lanes and vehicles were hydroplaning in the area.
January 21, 2024 · Santa Cruz, California
Flood Flood
Water was reported on all three lanes of Northbound California 1 near La Fonda Ave and under the Soquel Bridge.
January 21, 2024 · Santa Cruz, California
Flood Flood
The Cypress Point Apartments at Felix Street in Santa Cruz flooded as a result of Neary Lagoon overflowing. Eight units were reported flooded, with five of those being occupied at the time. Report courtesy KION-TV Monterey-Salinas and KPIX-TV San Francisco.
March 29, 2023 · Santa Cruz, California
Hail Hail
Social media report of accumulating pea-sized hail in Scotts Valley.
March 10, 2023 · Santa Cruz, California
Flood Flood
North Main Street in Soquel was completely washed out near Pringle Lane, after heavy rain caused debris to block the Bates Creek culvert. A temporary repair was put into place on March 11.
December 31, 2022 · Santa Cruz, California
Flood Flood
The Old Mill Mobile Home Park in Soquel was evacuated, after several mobile homes flooded. KSBW television quoted a resident as saying that the river rushed in so fast that barely had time to leave the house. The resident compared it to ocean waves in their backyard. County offic…
December 27, 2022 · Santa Cruz, California
Flood Flood
Heavy rain and high levels on Aptos Creek led to street flooding in the Rio Del Mar neighborhood of Aptos, trapping several people in their homes.
September 18, 2022 · Santa Cruz, California
Flood Flood
Minor flooding due to heavy rain on Rt-17 offramp.
December 13, 2021 · Santa Cruz, California
Debris Flow Debris Flow
Video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LFZJqrqidw, of rapid debris flow in Boulder Creek area, 200 ft from where Foreman Creek crosses under SR236. Creek runs through part of the CZU burn scar area.
March 10, 2021 · Santa Cruz, California
Hail Hail
Image on social media shows small hail in Aptos.
March 10, 2021 · Santa Cruz, California
Hail Hail
Public reported accumulating hail in Scotts Valley at around 1500 ft.
January 29, 2021 · Santa Cruz, California
Debris Flow Debris Flow
A mudslide occurred in the Aptos Hills on Valencia School Rd around midnight. A 50 foot section of a rain soaked roadway gave way and a PG&E rig fell about 150 feet down the hillside https://www.ksbw.com/article/santa-cruz-utility-worker-tumbles-down-150-foot-hillside-during-land…
January 29, 2021 · Santa Cruz, California
Debris Flow Debris Flow
A mudslide occurred in the Aptos Hills Area causing damage to a home. A truck was pushed into an additional structure. Exact time and location of the slide is unknown https://www.ksbw.com/article/mother-newborn-escape-mudslide-in-aptos-hills/35369344.
January 28, 2021 · Santa Cruz, California
Flood Flood
Flooding in roadway at Soquel Dr and Monroe Ave.
January 28, 2021 · Santa Cruz, California
Flood Flood
Flooding on Whiting Rd and Casserly Rd.

Events by year

YearEventsTornadoes
202580
2024141
202320
202230
2021130
2020100
2019272
201880
2017410
201630
201520
201410
2012211
201170
201020
200930
200820
200620
200540
200430
200320
200171
200020
199920
199841
1997130
199630
198611
196521