California

Storms in California in 2002

916 events in 443 episodes

Every storm the National Weather Service filed in California in 2002, with each episode’s narrative and every event in it. From 1996 the record holds 48 kinds of event with each office’s narrative; before that, tornadoes, hail and thunderstorm wind only, and before 1955 tornadoes alone.

California in 2002 on the map

Every episode with a place to put it, colored by kind of event.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over California

The year

Events
916
Deaths
25
Injuries
362
Damage
$189 million
Episodes
443

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

By kind of event

Kind of eventEventsDeathsInjuriesDamage
High Wind23521$8.6 million
Wildfire1241132$142 million
Heavy Snow117136$500,000
Dense Fog746136$3.4 million
Flood6247$2.4 million
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill5110$2.0 million
Winter Storm5000$23,000
Heavy Rain3300$500,000
Hail2300$26 million
Frost/Freeze2000
Thunderstorm Wind2000$131,000
Dust Storm16015$1.9 million
Strong Wind1500$30,000
Heat12610
Flash Flood1200$51,000
Winter Weather1103$60,000
Funnel Cloud1000
Lightning1000$20,000
Rip Current6217$100,000
High Surf525$42,000
Cold/Wind Chill400
Tornado300$786,000
Blizzard100$50,000
Drought100
Storm Surge/Tide100$500,000

Every episode, month by month

January 2002

February 2002

March 2002

April 2002

May 2002

June 2002

July 2002

August 2002

September 2002

October 2002

November 2002

December 2002

More

Every year in CaliforniaEvery state in 2002Tornadoes in California in 2002Warnings in California in 200220012003

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24.