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Southern Monterey Bay and Big Sur Coast County, California
Tornadoes, hail, floods and severe storms recorded here between 2008 and 2026, from NOAA's Storm Events Database. Search an address to see which tornadoes came closest to it.
0
Tornado reports
0
Hail reports
7
Floods since 1996
174
All events
29
Deaths
$6.2M
Property damage
Year by year
All storm eventsTornadoes
NOAA's storm database records tornadoes back to 1950 and hail and thunderstorm wind back to 1955, but floods only from 1996 on. Older floods are missing here. For those, the U.S. Geological Survey's stream gauge records and flood reports are the place to look.
Most significant events
The strongest tornadoes, deadliest events and biggest damage here, up to 50.
A 25-year old man was found dead in the water off China Vista Point in the Big Sur coastline. The man had been fishing on rocks near the shore. A distress call was placed around 1 PM on Saturday after a tourist reported a man floating in the water. Rescue personnel from CAL FIRE …
The California Highway Patrol received initial reports of a vehicle going over the cliff off of Highway One into the ocean at 4:20 PM on 2/10/2026. Nearby PGE observation stations reported 40 mph (Coast Road, 404 ft in elevation, north of accident site) and 45 mph (Funt Ranch, 99…
A 35-year old man and two women were hit by a large wave on November 22. The two women were able to self-rescue, but the man was not. Just after 3 PM, the Monterey County Sheriff's Office and California State Parks launched a rescue effort for the man. Around 4:24 PM, a U.S. Coas…
Two people died after a family of four was swept out to sea at Garrapata Beach on November 14th by a wave estimated at 15 to 20 feet high. An off-duty state park lifeguard noticed the family in distress around 12:50 PM, and pulled a father and mother towards shore. A seven-year o…
A twin-engine Beechcraft, tail number N8796R, departed from San Carlos Airport in the Bay Area at approximately 10:07 p.m., heading to Monterey Regional Airport. However, around 10:38 p.m., the aircraft crashed into the ocean 200-300 yards off Point Pinos near Sunset Drive and Je…
Marina Police received a call around noon about a man in his 30s swept into the sea at the Marina State Beach at noon on December 23. Bystanders tried to assist the man but the waves were too strong. Marina Police suspended their search after two hours as wave conditions became h…
The Monterey County Sheriff's Office responded to a call around 2:14 PM on December 23 that a man visiting from Asia had been swept out to sea near Point Joe in Del Monte Forest. A witness said that the man was knocked into the water while standing on a rock. The search turned in…
A 21-year-old male residing in Pacific Grove drowned in the sea off Carmel-by-the-Sea on Thursday August 31, 2023. The man had planned to go fishing north of Stewarts Cove on August 30 and did not return home that night as planned. Family members found his car in the Carmel River…
At 7:47 PM on the 22nd, a person reported a 3-year old boy unaccompanied at Moss Landing State Beach. The Coast Guard states that the boy said his mother went swimming and his 7-year old brother was missing. Cal Fire retrieved the mother from near Moss Landing Harbor; on Thursday…
Search and Rescue team were unable to locate the diver who was swept out to sea by a rip current. Point Sur Buoy (Station 46239) measured average seas between 8 and 9 feet that day. Nearby Cabrillo Point buoy (Station 46240) in Monterey Bay, measured average seas 3 to 4 feet. Win…
On the evening of the 21st a child was swept into the ocean at Moss Landing State Beach. A bystander and the child's father went in after the child. The bystander was able to rescue the child but the father was taken by the ocean https://www.ksbw.com/article/search-paused-for-man…
A man drowned at Marina State Beach while swimming on the evening of the 27th after being caught in a rip current. The man was rescued by bystanders and police but did not survive.
A father tried to rescue his 12 year old daughter from the ocean after her raft was being swept out to sea. The father died in the current after he saved his daughter https://www.ksbw.com/article/12-year-old-girl-rescued-from-water-at-carmel-beach-father-still-missing/30326796.
Three people got knocked over into the water at Garappata Beach while taking selfies. Two were able to get back to shore while the third did not https://www.montereyherald.com/2019/11/18/wave-sweeps-woman-into-ocean-at-garrapata-beach/.
A 33 year old man died on Saturday when he went into the water to save his son from waves. His son was rescued but the man was swept out to sea. His body was recovered the next day https://www.kion546.com/news/identity-of-man-swept-out-at-monastery-beach-released/1084692715?fbcli…
On Wednesday evening a sailing vessel encountered heavy weather while sailing off the Monterey Coast. The skipper was washed overboard. His crew was able to bring him to the boat before the Coast Guard took him to a hospital where he later passed away.
A Monterey local 18-year old man fell off a cliff at Garrapata State Park around 11:44 Saturday morning and into the Pacific Ocean. According to Coast Guard spokeswoman Emily Rowan, the 18-year old fell off a cliff at Garrapata Beach while hiking with two friends. According to th…
A paraglider was swept out to sea near Sand City in rough surf and was not found https://www.kion546.com/news/search-continues-for-missing-paraglider-near-sand-city-beach-1/932571571.
Two women were swept into the ocean by a sneaker wave on Monastery Beach in Monterey County near Carmel. Bystanders pulled both women from the water and attempted CPR. One of the women was unresponsive and was taken to a local hospital by State Parks personnel. She was pronounced…
Four people were fishing on rocks at Soberanes Point when a sneaker wave washed one of them out to sea. The Coast Guard and rescue crews attempted to rescue him but could not find him. His body was recovered by rescue divers the next day.
Two beachgoers at Asilomar State Beach were swept into the water by a sneaker wave. A surfer was able to rescue one of the people but could not find the second person. The Coast Guard conducted an extensive search but was not able to locate the second person.
Two women were swept into the ocean by a sneaker wave at Carmel River Beach and taken out to sea by a rip current around 3:15 p.m. PST. One woman perished in the ocean and the other was rescued.
As many as ten people at Monastery Beach, south of Carmel, were caught by surprise as a sneaker wave washed them from the beach into the ocean. A Good Samaritan decided to help with the rescue and died after pulling at least one person to safety. Another beachgoer succumbed to in…
Two men entered the water at Carmel Beach and one man was swept out to sea by a rip current. The 34-year-old man's body was never found and he was presumed drowned. High surf was occurring at the time under a sunny sky.
Heavy rain and high surf caused widespread flooding, mudslides, road closures, and downed power lines across Monterey County.
Heavy rain on saturated soils caused a large landslide on State Route One 13.7 miles north of Big Sur State Park at Rocky Creek. The roadway reopened to one-way controlled traffic on April 20, 2011.
Moss Landing Harbor sustained damages to docks and harbor structures during the tsunami.
Strong Wind Strong Wind
At 1519 local on 30 June 2026, Coast Guard San Francisco received a notification from Station Monterey of 3 swimmers struggling off Del Monte Beach. Sector San Francisco assumed SAR Mission command in the Distress phase, issued an urgent marine information broadcast, and launched…
Strong Wind Strong Wind
The Coast Road station operated by PG&E reported a gust of 48 mph.
High Surf High Surf
On April 1, California Fish and Wildlife received a report of an adult male kayaker reported troubled by weather near the break wall of the Monterey Harbor. The report was relayed to the Coast Guard by 12:32 PM, and Coast Guard Station Monterey launched, arrived on the scene, and…
Heat Heat
The Big Sur Station weather station reported a monthly record high of 93 degrees.
High Wind High Wind
The Coast Road station operated by PG&E measured a gust of 63 mph.
Coastal Flood Coastal Flood
City of Monterey reported flooding in downtown Monterey near the Monterey Sports Center.
Coastal Flood Coastal Flood
Roadway flooding reported at California Highway 1 and Highland Drive near Point Pinos.
Coastal Flood Coastal Flood
Roadway flooding was reported at Elkhorn Road and Strawberry Canyon Road in the Elkhorn Slough area.
Coastal Flood Coastal Flood
Water was flowing over the swim deck at Lovers Point Beach.
Coastal Flood Coastal Flood
California State Parks reported that Elkhorn Road was completely flooded between Hidden Valley Road and Strawberry Road along the Elkhorn Slough.
High Wind High Wind
The PG&E station at Coast Road reported a gust of 81 mph.
High Wind High Wind
The PGE station on Coast Road reported a 60 mph gust.
Strong Wind Strong Wind
A large tree was downed on a home on Ocean View Avenue in Carmel-by-the-Sea.
High Wind High Wind
The PG&E station on Lime Creek Road reported a gust of 71 mph.
High Wind High Wind
The Lime Creek Road station operated by PG&E recorded a wind gust of 85 mph.
High Surf High Surf
A man around 30 years old from the Carmel-by-the-Sea area got stuck in a rip current around 300 yards out on the water on Carmel beach near Ocean Avenue and Scenic Road. Three surfers heard his cries for help and swam out to rescue him. The man was already on shore by the time fi…
High Wind High Wind
The Monterey Regional Airport ASOS reported a wind gust of 59 mph.
Strong Wind Strong Wind
A tree fell on California Highway 1 near Dolan Road in Moss Landing, blocking Highway 1.
The Monterey Peninsula Airport reported a wind gust of 51 mph. Across the Monterey Peninsula region, downed trees damaged 13 homes and closed California Highway 1 at the Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, California Highway 68 at the SFB Morse Gate, and other roads across the cit…
Strong Wind Strong Wind
Del Monte Avenue was closed between Sloat Ave and Casa Verde Rd due to downed trees and power lines, causing power outages across the Monterey Peninsula. Some areas in Del Monte Forest and Pacific Grove did not get power back on for around 2 to 3 days.
Strong Wind Strong Wind
A tree fell on both lanes of California Highway 68 near the SFB Morse Gate in Pacific Grove.
High Surf High Surf
Large waves took down the back of a house in Carmel Highlands.
Strong Wind Strong Wind
A small tug and barge became unmoored in Monterey Bay at the Monterey Wharf. The Coast Guard brought the boat back to its mooring.
Events by year, as a table
| Year | Events | Tornadoes |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 12 | 0 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 |
| 2024 | 3 | 0 |
| 2023 | 10 | 0 |
| 2022 | 6 | 0 |
| 2021 | 16 | 0 |
| 2020 | 7 | 0 |
| 2019 | 61 | 0 |
| 2018 | 10 | 0 |
| 2017 | 10 | 0 |
| 2015 | 2 | 0 |
| 2014 | 6 | 0 |
| 2013 | 3 | 0 |
| 2012 | 3 | 0 |
| 2011 | 6 | 0 |
| 2010 | 8 | 0 |
| 2009 | 3 | 0 |
| 2008 | 1 | 0 |
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See every tornado that passed within 25 miles of a place in Southern Monterey Bay and Big Sur Coast County, measured to its path.
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