Every tornado, hurricane, flood, blizzard, heat wave, record, earthquake, eruption, tsunami, wildfire and geomagnetic storm on record for August 16, in any year, each linked to its full record.
Every event with a place, colored by kind. Tap one to open its record.
By deaths, damage and strength together, across every archive.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck San Pablo, Guayaquil,ibarra, Colombia, Ecuador. It killed 70,000 people and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 8 earthquake struck S, Mindanao, Philippines. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 8,000 people, injured 10,000 and did $134 million in damage.
Tsunamis
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 8 earthquake struck Moro Gulf, Philippines, with a maximum water height of 9 meters. It killed 8,000 people, injured 10,000 and did $134 million in damage.
Earthquakes
The 1906 Valparaíso earthquake occurred on August 16 at 19:55 local time. 2 Mw.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Hurricane Erin reached its peak of 140 kt (160 mph) with a central pressure of 913 mb, a category 5 storm.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Firuzabad, Iran. It killed 132 people, injured 948, destroyed 2,500 houses and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
Billion-dollar disasters
A tropical cyclone disaster that cost $1.5 billion in 2024 dollars and killed 7, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from August 16, 2021 to August 18, 2021.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
An unnamed storm crossed the coast near Miami Beach, FL as a category 3 hurricane, 110 kt (125 mph). It killed 12 people in all. The 1888 Louisiana hurricane was a major hurricane that caused significant flooding and wind damage to the Mississippi River Delta and the Mississippi Valley in late August 1888. It was the third tropical cyclone and second hurricane of the 1888 Atlantic hurricane season.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Hurricane Ruth reached its peak of 160 kt (185 mph) with a central pressure of 915 mb, a category 5 storm.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Hurricane Camille reached its peak of 150 kt (175 mph) with a central pressure of 908 mb, a category 5 storm.
Tornadoes
An F3 tornado touched down in Hoke County, North Carolina and 175 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 20. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Ashley Heights, NC.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Hurricane Grace crossed the coast near Santa Cruz de Barahona, Barahona Province, Dominican Republic as a tropical storm, 35 kt, central pressure 1007 mb. It killed 16 people in all, by the National Hurricane Center’s count. Hurricane Grace was the strongest tropical cyclone to make landfall in the Mexican state of Veracruz. Grace impacted much of the Leeward Islands and Greater Antilles as a tropical storm, before causing more substantial impacts in the Yucatán Peninsula and Veracruz at hurricane status.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
52 on August 16, oldest first.
An F3 tornado touched down in Hoke County, North Carolina and 175 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 20. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Ashley Heights, NC.
An F3 tornado touched down in Columbia County, Wisconsin and tracked 9.6 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest, injuring 13.
An F3 tornado touched down in Columbia County, Wisconsin and tracked 9.6 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest, injuring 13.
An F3 tornado touched down in Columbia County, Wisconsin and tracked 9.6 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest, injuring 13.
An F3 tornado touched down in Riverside County, California and tracked 0.1 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in Cullman, Morgan counties, Alabama and tracked 32 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, injuring 6.
An F3 tornado touched down in Morgan, Limestone counties, Alabama and tracked 45 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, injuring 2.
An F3 tornado touched down in Giles County, Tennessee and tracked 12 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, injuring 1.
An F2 tornado touched down in Walker County, Alabama and tracked 1.3 miles, 120 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 1.
30 tornadoes were recorded on August 16, 1985, in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota. They killed 1 people.
Water flooded over Highway 2.
An F3 tornado touched down in Lexington County, South Carolina and tracked 8 miles, 440 yards wide at its widest, injuring 40.
An F3 tornado touched down in Lexington County, South Carolina and tracked 0.3 miles, 73 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in Union, Spartanburg counties, South Carolina and tracked 30 miles, 250 yards wide at its widest.
Tornado touched down near intersection of Highways 64 and 301, moved north northwest to slightly north of Govan. The tornado was up and down many times topping trees. One mobile home was overturned and heavily damaged.
31 tornadoes were recorded on August 16, 1994, in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina.
A tornado touched down near the intersection of Moore and Hickory Crossing Roads, in the Cedar Creek Church community, halfway between Georgia Highways 77 and 172, in southcentral Hart County.
At approximately 630 PM EDT, a tornado touched down in southern Cleveland County near the town of Earl, which is south of Shelby. The tornado affected areas off of route 18. One mobile home was completely destroyed on John Crawford Road.
An F1 tornado touched down in Sullivan County, Pennsylvania and tracked 0.5 miles, 50 yards wide at its widest, killing 1.
41/20/13N, 76/19/37W to 41/20/06N, 76/18/43W. The Ricketts Glen tornado was another example of tornadic winds embedded within a wider area of downburst damage. Downburst damage covered an area of about 3 miles wide from Ganoga Lake southeast to Lake Jean.
A tornado touched down and skipped along its path for several minutes. Twenty mobile homes were damaged and one was destroyed at the Maple Heights Trailer Court. A sixty by eighty foot block building was destroyed. Three houses and one business were damaged.
A tornado briefly touched down, ripping the roof off a middle school and downing numerous trees.
Numerous large branches down.
A weak cold front settled southeast into Iowa during the evening hours. The airmass ahead of the front was marginally unstable with lifted indices of -4 to -5 and CAPE values in the 2000 to 3000 J/kg range. Thunderstorms erupted over north central into northeast Iowa initially.
Tropical Storm Erin moved inland near Port Aransas on the morning of August 16 and continued toward the northwest, in the general direction of San Antonio.
A tornado outbreak struck southern and central Poland on 15 August 2008. Overall, it killed two people.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Afternoon thunderstorms continued across Utah in the middle of August. The strongest of these thunderstorms most commonly produced flash flooding in southern Utah, but isolated occurrences of severe winds and a tornado were also observed.
A band of heavy rain developed along a warm front that lifted north through southern and central Minnesota during the afternoon and early evening of August 16. Small low-topped supercells developed within the band and produced numerous tornadoes.
A warm and moist air mass, along with a series of disturbances across the region, allowed for the development of showers and thunderstorms. Some of these storms produced flash flooding, damaging winds, and a tornado.
13 on August 16, oldest first.
An unnamed storm crossed the coast near Miami Beach, FL as a category 3 hurricane, 110 kt (125 mph). It killed 12 people in all. The 1888 Louisiana hurricane was a major hurricane that caused significant flooding and wind damage to the Mississippi River Delta and the Mississippi Valley in late August 1888. It was the third tropical cyclone and second hurricane of the 1888 Atlantic hurricane season.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Hurricane Ruth reached its peak of 160 kt (185 mph) with a central pressure of 915 mb, a category 5 storm.
Hurricane Camille reached its peak of 150 kt (175 mph) with a central pressure of 908 mb, a category 5 storm.
Hurricane Rose reached its peak of 120 kt (140 mph) with a central pressure of 960 mb, a category 4 storm.
Hurricane Doyle reached its peak of 115 kt (130 mph) with a central pressure of 940 mb, a category 4 storm.
Hurricane Keoni reached its peak of 115 kt (130 mph), a category 4 storm.
Hurricane Erika crossed the coast near Valle Hermoso, Tamaulipas, Mexico as a category 1 hurricane, 65 kt (75 mph), central pressure 986 mb. It killed 2 people in all. The 2003 Atlantic hurricane season was a very active season with tropical cyclogenesis occurring before and after the official bounds of the season—the first such occurrence since the 1970 season. The season produced 21 tropical cyclones, of which 16 developed into named storms; seven of those attained hurricane status, of which three reached major hurricane status.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Claudette formed as tropical depression about 90 miles west-southwest of Tampa during the early morning hours of August 16th. Claudette moved to the northwest and strengthened to a tropical storm later in the morning.
Hurricane Genevieve was a strong tropical cyclone that almost made landfall on the Baja California Peninsula in August 2020. Genevieve was the twelfth tropical cyclone, seventh named storm, third hurricane, and second major hurricane of the 2020 Pacific hurricane season.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Hurricane Grace crossed the coast near Santa Cruz de Barahona, Barahona Province, Dominican Republic as a tropical storm, 35 kt, central pressure 1007 mb. It killed 16 people in all, by the National Hurricane Center’s count. Hurricane Grace was the strongest tropical cyclone to make landfall in the Mexican state of Veracruz. Grace impacted much of the Leeward Islands and Greater Antilles as a tropical storm, before causing more substantial impacts in the Yucatán Peninsula and Veracruz at hurricane status.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
After moving across the Greater Antilles and weakening, the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred strengthened into a tropical storm once again in the Gulf of Mexico and made landfall near Cape San Blas with maximum sustained winds near 65 mph on August 16th.
Hurricane Hilary was a large and intense Pacific hurricane in August 2023 that brought torrential rainfall and gusty winds to the Pacific Coast of Mexico along the Baja California peninsula, and the Southwestern United States, resulting in widespread flooding and mudslides to the region. The hurricane was the eighth named storm, sixth hurricane, and fourth major hurricane of the active and highly destructive 2023 Pacific hurricane season.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Hurricane Erin reached its peak of 140 kt (160 mph) with a central pressure of 913 mb, a category 5 storm.
20 on August 16, oldest first.
SHERWIN WILLIAMS PLANT IN ANDOVER SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO ROOF, SPRINKLER BUILDING & AN 8 X 12 OVERHEAD DOOR. ABOUT 20 POWER POLES WERE BLOWN DOWN, CLOSING US-54 BETWEEN GREENWICH RD & EAST 143RD ST FOR 18 HOURS. OTHER BUILDINGS SUSTAINED ROOF DAMAGE AS WELL.
Severe thunderstorms downed trees in Northampton and large branches in Holyoke, then dropped nickel sized hail in Westfield and Agawam. Another severe thunderstorm in Marshfield downed four large trees, before torrential rainfall flooded several roads in Plymouth.
The 2004 Boscastle flood occurred on Monday 16 August 2004 in the villages of Boscastle and Crackington Haven on the north-west coast of Cornwall, England, UK. The villages suffered extensive damage after eight hours of exceptionally heavy rain caused flash floods.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Heavy rainfall along the western slopes of the southern Sacramento Mountains led to excessive runoff and major flooding in Alamogordo and Boles Acres. Numerous roads throughout the area were closed, covered with water and debris.
Tropical Storm Erin made landfall along the middle Texas coast around the Port Aransas area as a minimal tropical storm early on the 16th.
In the late afternoon heat, thunderstorms erupted along a boundary across northeast Kentucky.
Several thunderstorms over a period of 3 days lead to flash flooding in Cataract Canyon/Havasu Canyon. The flooding lasted several days and caused damage to a few homes in the Village of Supai. There was extensive damage to Havasu Canyon and the campground below the village.
Slow moving thunderstorms produced up to 5 inches of rain in 2 hours causing several portions of Routes 119 and 124 to be destroyed. One bridge and several culverts were also destroyed and numerous other roads washed out.
Deep moisture returned to Utah on August 16th, picking up where it left off earlier in the month by causing widespread flash flooding and strong gusty winds.
Thunderstorms developed across western Minnesota the afternoon of Tuesday, August 16th. These thunderstorms continued to develop eastward across central Minnesota, and into east central Minnesota, and west central Wisconsin.
Deep, monsoonal flow continued from earlier in the month. Some minor flooding occurred near Dulzura in San Diego County.
Another round of major flash flooding occurred across parts of northwest Florida during the middle of August as an upper level trough developed west of the area with a continuous moisture feed off of the Gulf of Mexico streaming northward into the area.
This Sunday afternoon and evening featured a rather localized-but-significant flooding event within primarily central and northeast portions of Furnas County, including the community of Edison, which was ground zero for flooding rains and also a brief bout of severe wind gusts…
A slow moving low pressure area within a very moist airmass resulted in rounds of heavy rainfall and flash flooding.
A multi-day, significant flooding event occurred in the Steinhatchee area of southeast Taylor county as well as Dixie county. A 5 day rainfall total of 31.79 inches was measured by a personal weather station near Steinhatchee. Several homes received water damage in the area.
On this late Sunday afternoon and evening, several scattered, strong to severe storms advanced southward across various portions of South Central Nebraska, prompting many accounts of large hail and a few damaging wind gusts.
Increasing moisture and southeast upslope flow well in advance of landfalling Tropical Cyclone Fred resulted in development of numerous showers across the high elevations of the Balsams and surrounding hours during the overnight and early morning hours.
Multiple rounds of thunderstorms developed and moved across southeast Arizona from mid morning of August 16 through the early evening of August 17.
The upper-level high pressure system was located over the Great Basin area on August 16, 2022, while a backdoor front moved into eastern New Mexico before stalling along the east slopes of the central mountain chain.
At the surface, a low wobbled southeastward from the northwestern Great Lakes to southern Lake Huron during the early evening of the 16th through early evening of the 17th.
27 on August 16, oldest first.
On August 16, 1991, thunderstorm winds stronger than 60 mph struck near the community of Ringwood, in Major County. The winds blew down a cracking tower at a natural gas plant, causing a gas leak that forced people in the surrounding area to evacuate.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
During a sailboat race on Lake Erie, two people who were not wearing life preservers, were swept overboard by high waves and drowned. A total of four boats capsized and twelve people were swept overboard.
A line of severe thunderstorms moved rapidly east across the area. Thunderstorms produced high winds that downed numerous trees and powerlines.
A line of severe thunderstorms rapidly crossed the county from west to east. Widespread wind damage, mainly in the form of downed trees and power lines, was reported from the Troy and Canton areas eastward into central portions of the county near Smithfield and Grover townships.
A squall line of severe thunderstorms caused widespread tree damage, mainly in the northeast half, and killed one person in Morris County.
A squall line of severe thunderstorms caused widespread tree damage and killed one person in sussex County. Most of the wind damage occurred in the northeast half of the county.
A severe thunderstorm pulled down trees and limbs in Holmdel. A 34-year-old woman was killed when a tree fell down and crushed the vehicle she was driving in at 545 p.m. EDT.
Strong thunderstorm wind gusts of 80 -100 mph moved through the community of Golden Shores causing one million dollars in damage. Two mobile homes were destroyed and 17 other mobile homes and frame houses were unlivable. Another 117 homes received minor damage.
An unseasonable high wind event took place across north-central and parts of northeast Washington early on the morning of August 16.
A strong push of warm and unstable air came into Iowa during the afternoon of the 16th ahead of an approaching warm front. The situation was very dynamic for mid August as a strong 70 to 100 kt jet max approached the state.
Fox 5 News of Atlanta reported that lightning struck a home southwest of Newnan. The home was set on fire resulting in moderate damage to the structure. No one was home at the time of the incident.
Scattered thunderstorms developed in a moderately unstable airmass across the Champlain Valley of New York during the afternoon of the 16th.
Another in a series of cold fronts brought severe thunderstorms to Kentucky. Most of wind damage that occurred was in the form of downed trees and power lines.
Scattered thunderstorms developed in a moderately unstable airmass across the Champlain Valley of New York during the afternoon of the 16th.
An approaching cold front helped trigger some severe thunderstorms across central New Jersey during the late afternoon of the 16th. The Princeton area was hit the hardest. About 2,600 homes and businesses lost power mainly in Mercer and Middlesex Counties.
A vigorous upper-level disturbance in conjunction with an approaching cold front triggered periods of showers and thunderstorms across central Illinois on August 16th. A few storms produced marginally severe hail during the morning across north-central Illinois.
A lengthy squall line that developed across southern Indiana crossed the Ohio River during the evening hours of August 16th. For the most part, this line was sub-severe. However, a few damaging wind gusts developed across the Louisville metropolitan area.
A rather strong cold front and upper level shortwave moved across the Missouri Ozarks causing strong to severe storms to develop. These storms mainly produced damaging wind gusts and a several reports of large hail. Two people were injured from a lightning strike.
A large MCS moved across Middle Tennessee during the evening hours of August 16 into the early morning hours of August 17, producing widespread wind damage and some large hail.
A couple rounds of convection affected central Pennsylvania this day. This first was associated with a vorticity max that pushed out of West Virginia during the early afternoon and generated a line of storms that evolved into bowing segments.
Considering that intense/damaging storms are fairly rare in South Central Nebraska during the pre-dawn hours, what happened in Howard County on this Thursday morning was rather noteworthy. During a 20-30 minute period centered either side of 4 a.m.
Thunderstorms developed along a pre-frontal trough in advance of a rare August cold front on the afternoon of Sunday August 16. Several storms became severe, producing mainly damaging winds along with quarter-sized hail for areas generally along and north of Interstate 20.
A cold front moved across the ArkLaMiss region during the afternoon and evening of August 16th. Ahead of the front, temperatures in the mid to upper 90s helped to create a very unstable airmass.
A weak disturbance that moved over the Billings Forecast area resulted in the development of a few thunderstorms that produced some severe wind gusts.
Hot and humid conditions beneath adequate wind shear from a passing weak upper wave combined with lift from a outflow boundary to initiate scattered strong thunderstorms on the afternoon of the 16th, with embedded severe cells impacted Fountain County and Hancock County.
21 on August 16, oldest first.
West winds circulating around a "Bermuda" high pressure system allowed temperatures to soar during the weekend of the 16th and 17th.
West winds circulating around a "Bermuda" high pressure system allowed temperatures to soar during the weekend of the 16th and 17th. Record maximum temperatures were achieved on both days. On the 16th, the previous record of 95 degrees was shattered as the mercury soared to 102.
The weekend of August 16th and 17th brought some of the hottest and most humid air of the summer into Southeastern Pennsylvania.
West winds circulating around a "Bermuda" high pressure system allowed temperatures to soar over the weekend of the 16th and 17th. Maximum temperatures surpassed the century mark across most of northern Virginia (except in the higher elevations) both days.
Two heat related deaths occurred in the Chicago metropolitan area over a 36 hour period with maximum daytime heat indices in the upper 80s and nighttime heat indices in the upper 70s.
A 77-year old man, was found dead in his home due to heat exhaustion. His health had been further weakened by a heart condition.
Male died of heat exposure while exercising.
Hot desert temperatures claimed another life.
A high pressure system off the eastern seaboard pumped in hotter and then more humid air into the Philadelphia Metropolitan area during the week of August 16th. This gave the area its longest heat wave of the summer: 6 days.
A large ridge of high pressure both at the surface and aloft allowed for excessively hot temperatures across northwest Louisiana through much of August.
Excessive heat claimed the life of a 75 year old woman and her disabled son. Investigators determined that the two likely perished because of the heat from earlier in the week. Police said that the air conditioning was not working in their home.
The latter half of August saw Drought conditions deteriorate, a result of days of heat and wind after the first, which continued for most days until month's end - with only a few periods of welcome rainfall, particularly on the 26th and again on the 31st.
Las Vegas reached Excessive Heat criteria two days in a row. Two people died a few days later of heat-related causes.
Four people died in Las Vegas of heat related causes.
Typical hot and humid summer conditions across the Mid-South. A small child died inside a hot car in Booneville, Mississippi.
High pressure over the region led to a stretch of hot days from August 14 through August 17.
An upper level ridge over the western CONUS led to temperatures near to slightly above normal across Phoenix. According to the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, 8 heat-associated fatalities occurred during this time.
Hot temperatures 2 to 4 degrees above normal were experienced across parts of southeast Arizona July 14. The Pima County Medical Examiner confirmed that heat was the primary cause of death for two individual found indoors in Tucson.
Afternoon temperatures climbed to near 102 degrees in Fort Smith during the afternoon of the 16th, and the heat index was near 105 degrees. A young boy was reportedly left in a vehicle in the driveway of a home, where he died in the heat.
Very hot temperatures were observed across southeast Arizona August 16. Both high and low temperatures were 4 to 9 degrees above normal causing the Moderate to Major Heat Risk categories to be reached.
A strong, stationary heat dome brought oppressive heat to the Mid-South in mid to late August. The region was fed by warm, moist air from the Gulf, which elevated dewpoints and thus made heat-index values much higher than the actual air temperature alone.
48 on August 16, oldest first.
The Ugly Fire started on August 16, 1986, in Oregon, and burned 7,607 acres.
The Upper Bear Fire started on August 16, 1988, in Montana, and burned 7,242 acres.
The Gulch Fire was discovered on August 16, 1992, in California, and burned 18,000 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Wapiti Fire was discovered on August 16, 1993, in Colorado, and burned 9,600 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Cottonwood Fire was discovered on August 16, 1994, in California, and burned 46,800 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Helen Creek Fire was discovered on August 16, 1994, in Montana, and burned 8,497 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Peterson-Elliott Fire was discovered on August 16, 1994, in Wyoming, and burned 7,150 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Ota 18 Fire was discovered on August 16, 1996, in Ada County, Idaho, and burned 8,200 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The North Fork Complex (Sheepeater) Fire was discovered on August 16, 1998, in Idaho, and burned 5,954 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Moose Fire was discovered on August 16, 2001, in Montana, and burned 71,000 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Apple Fire was discovered on August 16, 2002, in Douglas County, Oregon, and burned 17,600 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Battle Creek Fire was discovered on August 16, 2002, in South Dakota, and burned 12,443 acres; the cause was recorded as power generation/transmission/distribution.
Cool front passed through western Montana during the afternoon and evening hours with gusty west winds behind the front. A dust devil formed over the Nine Mile fire camp with wind speeds estimated at 40 to 50 mph, which blew over a supply tent.
The Greybull Fire was discovered on August 16, 2003, in Montana, and burned 6,836 acres; the cause was recorded as equipment and vehicle use.
The Tp Fire was discovered on August 16, 2006, in Elko County, Nevada, and burned 6,988 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Wautoma Fire was discovered on August 16, 2007, in Washington, and burned 72,641 acres.
The Castle Rock Fire was discovered on August 16, 2007, in Blaine County, Idaho, and burned 48,000 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Bear Den Butte Fire was discovered on August 16, 2007, in Blaine County, Idaho, and burned 29,532 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
Elevated fire weather conditions persisted for most of the month due to the extreme heat and the ongoing historic drought. Many wildfires occurred during the month burning over 40,000 acres of land, several homes, and lots of personal property.
The Grizzly Complex was reported on August 16, 2015, in Shoshone County, Idaho, and burned 25,584 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Northeast Kootenai Complex was reported on August 16, 2015, in Lincoln County, Montana, and burned 7,120 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Blue Cut fire began on August 16 around 0938 PST along Interstate 15 between Blue Cut & Kenwood, Swarthout Canyon/Devore, San Bernardino County. The fire spread rapidly to the north, with much of the total acreage burned within the first couple of days.
The Blue Cut Fire was reported on August 16, 2016, in San Bernardino County, California, and burned 36,274 acres.
The Cedar Fire was reported on August 16, 2016, in Kern County, California, and burned 29,322 acres.
The Monroe Fire was reported on August 16, 2016, in Pershing County, Nevada, and burned 11,220 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The North Eden Fire was reported on August 16, 2018, in Rich County, Utah, and burned 13,763 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Tenino Fire was reported on August 16, 2018, in Jefferson County, Oregon, and burned 7,500 acres.
The Copper Breaks fire burned roughly 7,200 acres of land and cost nearly 2.2 million dollars in damage and for fire suppression.
The Copper Breaks Fire was reported on August 16, 2019, in Hardeman County, Texas, and burned 7,206 acres.
The CZU Lightning Complex fires were wildfires that burned in Northern California starting in August 2020. The fire complex consisted of fires in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties, including fires that had previously been separately tracked as the Warnella and Waddell fires.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
During mid August, moisture from tropical storm Fausto moved along the coast of southern CA and made landfall over central and northern California.
The SCU Lightning Complex fires were wildfires that burned in the Diablo Range in California in August and September 2020 as part of the 2020 California wildfire season. The fire complex consisted of fires in Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin, Merced, and Stanislaus counties.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Monsoon thunderstorms developed across portions of the south central Arizona deserts during the evening hours on August 16th. Some of the stronger storms generated very strong and gusty outflow winds that approached 80 mph in strength at times.
The Scu Lightning Complex was reported on August 16, 2020, in Santa Clara County, California, and burned 396,624 acres.
The Lionshead Fire was reported on August 16, 2020, in Jefferson County, Oregon, and burned 204,469 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Beachie Creek Fire was reported on August 16, 2020, in Marion County, Oregon, and burned 193,573 acres.
The Czu Aug Lightning Fire was reported on August 16, 2020, in San Mateo County, California, and burned 86,509 acres.
The Indian Creek Fire was reported on August 16, 2020, in Malheur County, Oregon, and burned 48,435 acres.
The River Fire was reported on August 16, 2020, in Monterey County, California, and burned 48,088 acres.
The Rattlesnake Fire was reported on August 16, 2020, in Tulare County, California, and burned 8,419 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Corbin Fire was reported on August 16, 2020, in Lake County, California, and burned 6,061 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The North Brownstown 3 Fire was reported on August 16, 2020, in Yakima County, Washington, and burned 5,981 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Pine Grove Fire was reported on August 16, 2021, in Blaine County, Montana, and burned 16,004 acres.
The Garceau Fire was reported on August 16, 2022, in Lake County, Montana, and burned 6,724 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Happy Camp Complex was reported on August 16, 2023, in Siskiyou County, California, and burned 21,725 acres.
The Valentine Fire was reported on August 16, 2023, in Gila County, Arizona, and burned 9,644 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Pack Trail Fire was reported on August 16, 2024, in Teton County, Wyoming, and burned 89,930 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Fish Creek Fire was reported on August 16, 2024, in Teton County, Wyoming, and burned 26,313 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
32 on August 16, oldest first.
The 1303 Crete earthquake occurred at about dawn on 8 August. It had an estimated magnitude of about 8, a maximum intensity of IX (Violent) on the Mercalli intensity scale, and triggered a major tsunami that caused severe damage and loss of life on Crete and at Alexandria.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China. It killed 16 people.
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Zakinthos (Zante), Greece. It killed 3 people.
An earthquake struck Mexico City, Colima, Guadalajara. It killed some people (about 51 to 100) and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck N Sanriku,mutsu, Japan.
An earthquake struck Switzerland. It killed some people (about 51 to 100).
An earthquake struck Khadra,khios, Greece. It did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck San Pablo, Guayaquil,ibarra, Colombia, Ecuador. It killed 70,000 people and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Masbate Island, Philippines. It did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck Japan.
The 1906 Valparaíso earthquake occurred on August 16 at 19:55 local time. 2 Mw.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Albania.
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Caroline Islands, Micronesia.
A magnitude 6 earthquake struck Rimini, Italy. It killed 4 people, injured 60 and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage. It caused a tsunami.
An earthquake struck Central, Italy.
In the early morning hours of August 16, 1931, a powerful earthquake occurred in West Texas with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). 4 mb, making it the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Texas history.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Firuzabad, Iran. It killed 132 people, injured 948, destroyed 2,500 houses and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
The 1958 Firuzabad earthquake affected Hamadan province, Iran, on 16 August at 22:43. 3 mi), nine months after another severe earthquake struck the same area.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck Mabian, Sichuan Province, China. It killed few people (about 1 to 50).
A magnitude 8 earthquake struck S, Mindanao, Philippines. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 8,000 people, injured 10,000 and did $134 million in damage.
The 1976 Moro Gulf earthquake and tsunami occurred on August 17, 1976, at 00:11 local time near the islands of Mindanao and Sulu, in the Philippines. 0 on the moment magnitude scale occurring at a depth of 20 km (12 mi).
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The 1976 Songpan–Pingwu earthquake that struck Songpan and Pingwu counties in Sichuan, China consisted of three mainshocks on the 16th, 21st, and 23rd (UTC) of August. 2, respectively.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Rabaul, Kokopo, New Britain, Papua New Guinea. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck Lindong, Tianshan, Nei Mongol, China. It killed 4 people, injured 1,000, destroyed 7,900 houses and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
2 earthquake struck off the coast of the Oshika Peninsula in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It injured 100 people and damaged nearly 1,000 homes primarily in the Tōhoku Region.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck East Coast Honshu, Japan. It injured 56 and destroyed 1 house. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck Uttarkahi, Uttaranchal, India.
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Padang, Sumatra, Indonesia. It injured 9. It caused a tsunami.
6 earthquake that occurred at 2:31:05 pm (NZST) on Friday 16 August 2013. The epicentre was located about 10 km south-east of Seddon, under Lake Grassmere, with a focal depth of 8 km.
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A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Wellington, Marlborough, New Zealand. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 5 earthquake struck Yongshan, Yunnan Province, China. It injured 6.
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Poso, Sulawesi, Indonesia. It killed 2 people, injured 44 and destroyed 82 houses. It caused a tsunami.
1 on August 16, oldest first.
Toya, Japan erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 5. It killed 5 people.
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A tsunami with a source recorded as earthquake struck Dubrovnik, Croatia.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7 earthquake struck Sulu Sea, Philippines. It did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A tsunami struck Java-S. Java, Indonesia.
A tsunami with a source recorded as earthquake struck Mexico.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6 earthquake struck Central Adriatic, Italy. It killed 4 people, injured 60 and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A tsunami with a source recorded as landslide struck Taku Inlet, Juneau, AK, United States, with a maximum water height of 2.4 meters. It killed 1 person.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 8 earthquake struck Moro Gulf, Philippines, with a maximum water height of 9 meters. It killed 8,000 people, injured 10,000 and did $134 million in damage.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Solomon Sea, Papua New Guinea, with a maximum water height of 0.28 meters.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck E. Coast Honshu Island, Japan, with a maximum water height of 0.05 meters. It injured 56 and destroyed 1 house.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Sumatra, Indonesia, with a maximum water height of 0.18 meters. It injured 9.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Wellington, New Zealand, with a maximum water height of 0.08 meters.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Sulawesi, Indonesia, with a maximum water height of 0.02 meters. It killed 2 people, injured 44 and destroyed 82 houses.
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A G4 (severe) geomagnetic storm began August 16, 1939, reached Kp 8- and lasted 15 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 62; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 47 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm began August 16, 1942, reached Kp 7- and lasted 3 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 35; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 52 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G4 (severe) geomagnetic storm began August 16, 1960, reached Kp 8- and lasted 36 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 106; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 47 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G5 (extreme) geomagnetic storm began August 16, 1970, reached Kp 9- and lasted 27 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 115; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 42 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
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A tropical cyclone disaster that cost $1.5 billion in 2024 dollars and killed 7, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from August 16, 2021 to August 18, 2021.
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Two men were struck and killed by lightning while fishing from a canoe in Lake Mack in Orlando.
Husband and wife struck by lightning near 13th hole at Colonial Charters Golf Course. Woman was revived, but the man died.
A 45-year-old male drowned the morning of August 16th when he was unable to swim back to shore. The man was swimming with his 13-year-old son at about 8 a.m. EDT before lifeguards were on duty. The two were reportedly pulled far from the shore by an ocean current.
Twelve people were injured when lightning struck Jaffrey's annual Festival of Fireworks at Silver Ranch Airport. Lightning also set off some of the fireworks, but the fireworks did not cause any of the injuries.
Strong surf from Tropical Storm Claudette claimed the life of a man at Panama City Beach.
A strong pressure gradient developed across the Great Lakes, causing strong northwesterly winds and an increased risk of rip currents across far southeastern Lake Michigan.
Hurricane Gert moved north toward New England on August 14 and spread a high swell toward the region. Gert then turned toward the northeast on August 15 and then moved out to sea.
Scattered thunderstorms moved across the Brevard County coastal waters during the mid to late afternoon. Weather radar indicated wind gusts of 35 to 40 knots likely occurred with some of the storms. Two boaters went missing in this area at about the same time.
A group of 5 teens were swimming in Lake Michigan near Portage Riverwalk when waves pulled them under. A good Samaritan riding a jet ski helped pull two swimmers out. Two others managed to swim out of the currents.
Long period swell energy, high surf and modest east to northeast winds led to conditions favorable for strong rip currents along the Southeast South Carolina beaches.
Gathered from this site’s archives: the tornado record (NOAA SPC, and Grazulis before 1950), IBTrACS and the National Hurricane Center, NOAA NCEI’s Storm Events Database, Regional Snowfall Index, billion-dollar disasters list, State Climate Extremes Committee and hazard databases, USGS, NIFC, GFZ Potsdam’s Kp index (CC BY 4.0), the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma, and Wikidata (CC0), with article leads from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0, each credited where it appears. Rebuilt 2026-09-24.