Dust Storm in California

Events

234

Deaths

11

Injuries

140

Damage

$3.3 million

• Flash Flooding and Dust Storm in California, August 22 to 25, 20133 deaths · 5 injured · $42 million · 10 eventsA strong push of monsoon moisture fueled thunderstorms over the Mojave Desert and southern Great Basin for several days, peaking on the 25th. Many storms produced flash flooding, and isolated severe weather also occurred.
• Wildfire and Dust Storm in California, January 5 to 7, 20032 deaths · 12 injured · $31 million · 87 kt wind · 12 eventsThroughout this three day Santa Ana wind event, numerous trees and power poles were blown down. At least 60 communities were affected. Interstates 8, 10, and 15 were blocked for several hours by large trucks blown over.
• Flash Flooding and Flood in California, October 12 to 17, 20093 deaths · $446,000 · 67 kt wind · 21 eventsA deep low pressure trough tapped into quite a bit of moisture from the remnants of Super-Typhoon Melor, bringing as much as around 2 inches of rain to the central and southern San Joaquin Valley on the 13th-14th. Much higher amounts fell in the Southern Sierra Nevada.
• Flash Flooding and Flood in California, September 1 to 2, 20233 deaths · 9 eventsAn upper level storm system coming from the Eastern Pacific interacted with monsoonal moisture on September 1, 2023. The interaction of these features led to the development of heavy rain and thunderstorms, which caused several instances of flooding in the Coachella Valley.
• Dust Storm in California, October 16 to 17, 20072 deaths · $500,000 · 1 eventThe third weather system of the month of October brought only light precipitation to the region on the 16th-17th, but also brought strong wind gusts to the Kern County mountains and deserts, where gusts as high as 67 mph were recorded.
• Dust Storm and High Wind in California, November 27, 200341 injured · $150,000 · 56 kt wind · 5 eventsTrees blown down in several locations around the foothill communities adjacent to the Santa Ana and San Bernardino Mountains. An unladen 53 foot semi-tractor trailer was blown over the Lytle Creek Bridge on Interstate 15.
• Wildfire and Dust Storm in California, February 11 to 12, 199931 injured · $1.3 million · 78 kt wind · 5 eventsStrong winds blowing through the mountain passes of San Bernardino, Riverside, and San Diego Counties necessitated major road closures by the California Highway Patrol. Extensive property damage occurred throughout and west of the San Gorgonio Pass.
• Wildfire and Dust Storm in California, February 9 to 13, 200221 injured · $29 million · 89 kt wind · 19 eventsSanta Ana winds began on the morning of 2/9/02, they diminished slightly during the following night, but then increased in strength the following morning, peaking around midday on 2/10/02.
• Flooding and Dust Storm in California, November 7 to 10, 20021 death · 5 injured · $900,000 · 81 kt wind · 13 eventsThe first strong cold front of the winter season moved slowly across Southwest California. Steady rain fell over a two day period.
• Wildfire and Dust Storm in California, December 9, 199824 injured · $1.1 million · 81 kt wind · 8 eventsThe strongest Santa Ana wind event in two years affected the area, severely disrupting transportation, power, and daily activities. Broken trees and power poles were common throughout the area and power was knocked out to 180,000 customers.
• Flash Flooding and Dust Storm in California, September 1, 2023$30 million · 52 kt wind · 25 eventsA deep southerly fetch of rich moisture up from the Gulf of California led to scattered to widespread heavy rainfall in Imperial and eastern Riverside counties during the afternoon of the 1st.
• Flood and Dust Storm in California, October 24, 199814 injured · $320,000 · 2 eventsThe cool season's first significant rain pushed through Central California starting about 1100 PDT in Merced County and through Kern County by 2100 PDT.
• Flash Flooding and Dust Storm in California, August 2 to 4, 201411 injured · $329,000 · 13 eventsA major surge of monsoon moisture brought an outbreak of thunderstorms to the Mojave Desert and southern Great Basin, with the most activity on the 3rd and 4th. Widespread flash flooding and severe weather occurred.
• Dust Storm and Dense Fog in California, April 21 to 25, 20211 death · 1 injured · 3 eventsParts of the region saw dense fog, while other saw windy conditions that led to blowing dust and sand. This caused travel disruptions across the area.
• Dust Storm in California, March 15, 20211 death · 1 injured · 3 eventsAn abnormally strong and dry weather system dug into southern California during mid March and produced a strong westerly gradient wind. In the afternoon of the 15th wind gusts were observed up to 40-50 mph at multiple weather stations across Imperial county.
• Dust Storm and High Wind in California, November 25, 20026 injured · $900,000 · 53 kt wind · 3 eventsVisibility was near zero in blowing dust from Perris to Moreno Valley. At Lake Elsinore, small rocks were blown across Highway 74. Wind gusts to 61 mph were measured in San Bernardino.
• Dust Storm and High Wind in California, November 11, 20245 injured · $410,000 · 80 kt wind · 15 eventsAn upper low pressure center moved eastward across northern California on November 11.
• Dust Storm and Heavy Rain in California, November 2 to 3, 201515 injured · 2 eventsA slow moving cold front moved through the forecast area during the morning hours, resulting in some shower activity. Behind the cold front snow levels dropped and fairly widespread rainfall was occurring in the Valley.
• Debris Flows and Dust Storm in California, September 3, 20173 injured · $199,000 · 26 eventsA northwest surge of tropical moisture during the Labor Day weekend produced strong thunderstorms over the Kern County Mountains during the late afternoon of September 3.
• Dust Storm and High Wind in California, December 16, 20022 injured · $775,000 · 68 kt wind · 4 eventsWindows of car were blown out at Cajon Pass, and power lines and trees were blown down at Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear City. A tractor-trailer was blown over west of Phelan and a motorhome was blown over in Hesperia. Visibility was reduced to zero in blowing dust in Phelan.
• Flash Flooding and Debris Flows in California, July 17 to 19, 2015$301,000 · 60 kt wind · 36 eventsConsiderable moisture from Hurricane Dolores to the south, along with monsoon moisture from the southeast resulted in widespread showers and thunderstorms over most of the HSA for the 17th-19th.
• Wildfire and Dust Storm in California, October 17, 1999$677,000 · 82 kt wind · 12 eventsSanta Ana winds caused wind damage in Orange County, downing power lines in Yorba Linda and Huntington Beach. Wind gusts of 60 mph along the Santa Ana River Valley fanned a wild fire into 190 acres before it was brought under control.
• Wildfire and Dust Storm in California, August 19 to 20, 19971 injured · $700,000 · 3 eventsA gradient wind (non-thunderstorm) with speeds at 40 MPH plus was caused by the old center of Hurricane Ignacio moving over the San Joaquin Valley.
• Wildfire and Dust Storm in California, December 21 to 22, 19992 injured · $227,000 · 86 kt wind · 9 eventsStrong Santa Ana winds hit Southwestern California on the evening of 12/21 and lasted through most of the following day. Widespread power and phone outages occurred from falling trees knocking down lines and snapped poles.
• Dust Storm in California, March 13, 20026 injured · $60,000 · 1 eventStrong winds over 50 mph caused visibilities to drop to near zero on Interstate 15 near Yermo. These low visibilities caused two seven-car pile-ups, injuring several people. The interstate was closed for an hour due to the low visibilities and damaged vehicles.

Dust Storm everywhereEvery kind of event in California

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.