Every tornado, hurricane, flood, blizzard, heat wave, record, earthquake, eruption, tsunami, wildfire and geomagnetic storm on record for February 23, in any year, each linked to its full record.
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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 7.5 earthquake struck Izmir,alasehir,denizli,aydin, Turkey. It killed 2,500 people and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Parasanga, Paletoang, Sulawesi, Indonesia. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 664 people, injured 97, destroyed 1,287 houses and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
Tsunamis
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7 earthquake struck Makassar Strait, Indonesia, with a maximum water height of 4 meters. It killed 664 people, injured 97, destroyed 1,287 houses and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Ligurian Coast, Italy. It killed 600 people, injured 200 and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Woodruff, Jackson, Poinsett counties, Arkansas and tracked 36.3 miles, 600 yards wide at its widest, killing 8 and injuring 81. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: S Augusta to E Waldenburg, AR.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 6 earthquake struck Yunnan Province, China. It killed 129 people, injured 18 and destroyed 1,667 houses.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Winston County, Mississippi and tracked 15 miles, 350 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 5.
Tornadoes
An F3 tornado touched down in Coosa, Clay counties, Alabama and tracked 14.7 miles, 600 yards wide at its widest, killing 9 and injuring 50. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: WSW Stewartsville/ENE Hollins, AL.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama and tracked 14.4 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 49.
Tornadoes
An F3 tornado touched down in Hale, Perry counties, Alabama and tracked 17.5 miles, killing 6 and injuring 15. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Whitsitt/E Greensboro/Rosemary, AL.
Billion-dollar disasters
A severe storm disaster that cost $1.5 billion in 2024 dollars and killed 2, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from February 23, 2019 to February 25, 2019.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Hurricane Wutip reached its peak of 140 kt (160 mph) with a central pressure of 905 mb, a category 5 storm.
56 on February 23, oldest first.
An F3 tornado touched down in Pettis County, Missouri and tracked 8.1 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 8. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Housatonia, MO.
An F4 tornado touched down in Woodruff, Jackson, Poinsett counties, Arkansas and tracked 36.3 miles, 600 yards wide at its widest, killing 8 and injuring 81. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: S Augusta to E Waldenburg, AR.
An F3 tornado touched down in Colbert County, Alabama and 100 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 1. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: SW Tuscumbia, AL.
An F2 tornado touched down in Lonoke County, Arkansas and tracked 8 miles, killing 1 and injuring 26. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: McCreanor/N Carlisle, AR.
An F2 tornado touched down in Grant, Jefferson counties, Arkansas and tracked 8.5 miles, killing 1 and injuring 5. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Junet/Samples, AR.
An F3 tornado touched down in Coosa, Clay counties, Alabama and tracked 14.7 miles, 600 yards wide at its widest, killing 9 and injuring 50. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: WSW Stewartsville/ENE Hollins, AL.
An F3 tornado touched down in Hale, Perry counties, Alabama and tracked 17.5 miles, killing 6 and injuring 15. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Whitsitt/E Greensboro/Rosemary, AL.
An F2 tornado touched down in DeKalb, Rockdale counties, Georgia and tracked 4 miles, killing 2 and injuring 8. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Lithonia/Pine Mountain, GA.
An F3 tornado touched down in Broward County, Florida and tracked 5.7 miles, 60 yards wide at its widest, injuring 6.
An F4 tornado touched down in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama and tracked 14.4 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 49.
An F4 tornado touched down in Winston County, Mississippi and tracked 15 miles, 350 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 5.
An F3 tornado touched down in Leake County, Mississippi and tracked 11.4 miles, 177 yards wide at its widest, injuring 1.
An F3 tornado touched down in Attala County, Mississippi and tracked 10.5 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in Henderson, Smith counties, Texas and tracked 10.3 miles, 33 yards wide at its widest, injuring 1.
Severe weather struck much of southern and eastern Oklahoma on February 23, 1985. During the early morning hours, a significant tornado raced through the small communities of Bentley and Harmony. Four homes were destroyed, injuring three people. Damaging thunderstorm winds also hit portions of Pushmataha and Choctaw Counties. Along with the severe thunderstorms, came heavy rain to much of the area. Over the three-day period from February 22nd through the 24th, storm total amounts of 5 to 7 inches were reported, quickly sending creeks and streams over their banks. Many roads and bridges were washed out, while others were submerged under flood waters for several days.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
A local television station reported tornado like winds damaged 11 homes. Most of the damage was to roofs and fallen trees. No funnel cloud was sighted. Several cars sustained damage.
A severe thunderstorm moving eastward across the county produced golf ball-sized hail, followed very quickly by a small and short-lived tornado. No one was injured and no significant damage was done by the tornado.
Straight-line winds destroyed a mobile home in Cleveland. Two occupants were slightly injured.
A powerful Pacific storm fed by warmer than normal El Nino conditions in the eastern Pacific, slammed into southern California with strong winds, thunderstorms, and very heavy rain. This was the final in a series of heavy storms which pummelled the region this month.
Tornadoes in February in southwest Kansas are a rare occurrence but striking at night is even more of a rare event. Late in the evening on February 23, 2007, two tornadoes danced across the farmland of Meade, Gray and Ford counties.
An EF2 tornado touched down in Saint James Parish, Louisiana and tracked 12.95 miles, 350 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 75.
39 tornadoes were recorded on February 23, 2016, in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia. They killed 3 people.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Escambia County, Florida and tracked 2.99 miles, 300 yards wide at its widest, injuring 3.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Assumption Parish, Louisiana and tracked 7.78 miles, 350 yards wide at its widest.
A strong cold front moved through the lower Mississippi Valley. Ahead of the front, widespread severe weather moved through Southeast Louisiana and Southern Mississippi during the morning and afternoon hours of February 23rd.
An EF2 tornado touched down in Lamar County, Mississippi and tracked 5.63 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, killing 1.
A unusually strong storm system produced a highly favorable setup for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. The highest impact across the Florida Panhandle was from a strong tornado that impacted the Pensacola metro. Some flooding was also experienced.
Showers and thunderstorms occurred across the region in association with a potent low pressure system. Some of these storms produced tornadoes, strong damaging wind gusts, and hail.
A strong storm system brought produced numerous thunderstorms across southeast Mississippi. Damaging winds and tornadoes were observed along with very heavy rain.
An unusually strong upper level trough and area of low pressure moved across the southeast states during the Feb 23-24 period, bringing with it numerous reports of wind damage and tornadoes.
A cold front move across Louisiana and a few severe storms occurred ahead of the boundary.
A strong cold front moved through the lower Mississippi Valley. Ahead of the front, widespread severe weather moved through Southeast Louisiana and Southern Mississippi during the morning and afternoon hours of February 23rd.
A trough of low pressure at 500 milibars was analyzed near the New Mexico and Texas border. A weak shortwave trough was also analyzed across northwest Mississippi.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Lowndes County, Mississippi and tracked 9.74 miles, 440 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 11.
A strong storm system moved through the region during the day on the 23rd. Storms developed across the ArkLaMiss and brought damaging winds and hail, which produced some damage across the central portions of Mississippi.
In the early evening of February 23, 2019, an intense and destructive tornado moved through the city of Columbus, located in Lowndes County, Mississippi. The tornado, which received a rating of EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, killed one person and injured 19 others during its 16-minute lifespan.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A strong late winter cold front produced severe weather across portions of north Mississippi in the form of wind damage and one tornado during the afternoon of February 23rd.
3 on February 23, oldest first.
Hurricane Wutip reached its peak of 140 kt (160 mph) with a central pressure of 905 mb, a category 5 storm.
Severe Tropical Cyclones Judy and Kevin were a pair of intense tropical cyclones that made landfall on the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu within 48 hours of each other in March 2023. They were the fourth and fifth named storms of the 2022–23 South Pacific cyclone season respectively, as well as the second and third severe tropical cyclones of the season.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Hurricane Horacio reached its peak of 138 kt (160 mph) with a central pressure of 920 mb, a category 5 storm.
12 on February 23, oldest first.
The final...and deadliest...storm of the month struck Central and Southern California. Rainfall totals ranged from 1 to 4 inches over the coast with up to 14 inches in the mountains. Widespread urban and small stream flooding was reported.
Caliente Creek progressed from nuisance flow to flooding by the wee hours of the morning of 2/24/98. The flow climbed to a peak estimated at 6000CFS at Bena (in the foothills of the Tehachapi Mountains and upstream of Lamont) by 0230 PST on 2/24/98.
The second powerful nor'easter to affect the region in less than a week brought a deluge of rain to southeastern Massachusetts, gale force winds along the coast, and coastal flooding to Chatham on Cape Cod and to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.
February 23,24 - Episode NarrativeAnother slow moving storm system brought copious amounts of rain to north Texas and more flash flooding.
Heavy rains caused 10 roads to be closed due to water covering them. In addition, a few homes were flooded with 5 to 6 inches of water reported in them. This all occurred across the northern portion of the county.
A series of upper level disturbance rotating around a mean longwave trough west of the area brought copious amounts of moisture into the area.
A strong storm system brought produced numerous thunderstorms across southwest Alabama. The thunderstorms produced high winds which caused damage.
Widespread showers and thunderstorms to the north of a stalled frontal boundary produced locally heavy rainfall across much of east central and northeastern Oklahoma on the 23rd and 24th.
A strong low pressure system moved from northeast New Mexico to the Great Lakes during the period, providing strong southerly flow from the Gulf, and producing significant amounts of rainfall.
A strong cold front produced a line of thunderstorms that caused flash flooding, some wind damage and funnel clouds to portions of west Tennessee during the afternoon and early evening hours of February 23rd.
A low pressure system strengthened as it moved northeast into the Great Lakes region. A large area of showers and thunderstorms associated with a warm front moved across the region during the afternoon of the 23rd, producing heavy rain and some flash flooding.
A strengthening upper-level low and an associated strong low pressure system at the surface tracked just off the Pacific Northwest coast leading to a period of high winds.
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Thunderstorm downburst winds estimated near 100 mph toppled numerous trees which fell on buildings along a 15 mile path through central Madison County.
Numerous trees were downed northwest of Nashville (Washington Twp) at 1520 EST along Township Road 476 where a resident claimed to have seen a tornado.
As a thunderstorm gust front swept through Fresno, trees and powerlines were downed. Over 18,000 electric utility customers went without power in the area and a tree was toppled onto a house near San Joaquin Memorial High School in north-Central Fresno beginning at 1:30 PM PST.
Gusty winds caused a tree to fall on a home, ruining the home and much of its contents.
A severe thunderstorm wind gust of 70 mph caused tree and home damage to a rectangular area 4.5 miles by 3 miles across in north central Citrus county. Citrus County Emergency Management conducted a survey and found the damage was caused by straight line winds.
Quarter size hail.
Lightning killed 11 cows as they stood around a hay ring.
A strong upper level storm system passed over northern New Mexico and the panhandle of Texas into Oklahoma. This substantially tightened the pressure gradients over west Texas and southeastern New Mexico, resulting in strong to severe straight line winds across much of the area.
A piece of energy from an eastern Pacific trough brought isolated strong winds and moderate rainfall to northern California.
A strengthening low pressure system over the eastern plains caused winds across the ArkLaMiss to gust between 35 and 50 mph during the afternoon of the 23rd. Several instances of damage to trees, power lines, power poles and structures occurred.
Intense northwest winds buffeted much of South Central Nebraska for several hours on this Thursday, with the strongest sustained speeds around 40 MPH and gusts of at least 50-55 MPH primarily focused west of a line from Ord-Kearney-Holdrege.
A strong upper level disturbance moving across south-central Texas interacted with moisture over south Texas to produce scattered severe thunderstorms over northern portions of the Brush Country during the early morning hours of the 23rd.
An unusually strong upper level trough and area of low pressure moved across the southeast states during the Feb 23-24 period, bringing with it numerous reports of wind damage. The low level jet was particularly strong with very strong 0-1 km shear values in excess of 60 knots.
A series of fast-moving upper level troughs crossed the southern Rockies and delivered the strongest round of winds to New Mexico on the 23rd.
Breezy winds developed across interior northern California on February 23 as a shortwave trough slid across the Pacific Northwest. High pressure was developing east of the region causing the pressure gradient to tighten over the region.
Dry air and cold temperatures aloft, associated with an upper level disturbance, contributed to showers and isolated thunderstorms which produced small hail across the Midlands of SC.
51 on February 23, oldest first.
Snowstorm of February 23, 1913 was ranked category 1, Notable, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Ohio Valley. It lasted from February 23, 1913 to March 1, 1913.
Snowstorm of February 23, 1934 was ranked category 2, Significant, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Ohio Valley. It lasted from February 23, 1934 to February 27, 1934.
Snowstorm of February 23, 1966 was ranked category 2, Significant, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Northeast. It lasted from February 23, 1966 to February 26, 1966.
Snowstorm of February 23, 1987 was ranked category 2, Significant, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Northern Rockies and Plains. It lasted from February 23, 1987 to March 3, 1987.
Snowstorm of February 23, 1993 was ranked category 2, Significant, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Ohio Valley. It lasted from February 23, 1993 to February 27, 1993.
An overnight snow dumped a narrow band of heavy snow along and just south of the Platte River valley in South Central Nebraska. Snow totals of 6 to 9 inches were common from Elwood and Holdrege to Polk. Aurora and Atlanta reported 9 inches of snow from the storm.
The final El Nino enhanced storm for February hit south central and extreme southern Nevada hard. Much of northern Nye county above 6,000 feet saw a foot or more of snow in 18 hours. Manhattan (7,100 feet), 50 miles north of Tonopah, reported 14 inches of new snow.
A mixture of light rain and snow began over northwest Georgia by late morning on Feb 23, and gradually spread eastward during the afternoon. A winter weather advisory was issued for the counties along and north of a line from Polk to White counties.
Freezing rain moved into eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa beginning shortly after noon Friday 2/23/01. The freezing rain ended or change over to rain across the southern counties around 600 pm but persisted several hours longer north of Omaha.
A winter storm moving southeast from the Rockies across Oklahoma produced snowfalls of ranging from 6-15 inches across most of South-Central and Southeast Kansas from Sunday afternoon, the 23rd, to Monday morning, the 24th.
A major winter storm tracked across the region, providing a six to twelve inch snow band along the Interstate 44 corridor. The heaviest amounts were observed in far southwest areas of Missouri where 12 inch amounts were measured near Joplin and Neosho.
A strong winter storm moved from eastern Colorado to southern Kansas bringing blizzard conditions and a swath of heavy snow.
An ice storm deposited one-half- to three-quarter- inch of ice at various locations in the north country. The ice downed tree limbs and power lines. As many as 7000 customers were without power at the peak of the storm.
Snowfalls of 3 to almost 6 inches fell overnight across Rock, Walworth, Racine, and Kenosha counties. The snow was heavy and wet, and visibilites were reduced to below 1 mile. Roads became very slippery. Some social activities were cancelled.
A winter storm (first of two rounds) consisting of heavy snow with some sleet and freezing rain mixed in, left behind 6 to 8.5 inches of accumulations over several south-central and southeast Wisconsin counties.
A strong upper level low pressure system moved from the Rockies on the 22nd, and across much of the Upper Midwest from the 23rd to the 25th.
A powerful winter storm moved from Kansas to the lower Great Lakes, producing a combination of freezing rain, sleet and heavy snow, which virtually paralyzed northeast Iowa. Widespread power outages and tree damage were caused by ice accumulations of 1 to 2 inches.
A wintry mix of light freezing rain, sleet and light snow affected central, south-central and southeast Kansas on February 23rd, as an upper level disturbance moved over the area.
An upper level disturbance moved through north Texas with the best lift south of Interstate 20. The precipitation initially began as rain, but as colder temperatures filtered into the region, the rain transitioned to snow.
Heavy snowfall from a strong winter storm was deposited onto a weak, preexisting snow-pack, which lead to a deadly skier triggered avalanche just above the Lindley Hut near Ashcroft.
On the afternoon of February 23rd through the evening hours of February 24th, the combination of a large developing upper atmospheric low pressure system across the lower Great Lakes and Ohio River Valley with a surface low south of New England accounted for a prolonged fetch of…
Low pressure moving along the eastern Massachusetts coast brought snow to much of interior Southern New England, with rain falling along the coast.
On the afternoon of February 23rd through the evening hours of February 24th, the combination of a large developing upper atmospheric low pressure system across the lower Great Lakes and Ohio River Valley with a surface low south of New England accounted for a prolonged fetch of…
An upper-level ridge built into California during the afternoon of February 22nd, but was quickly weakened as yet another Pacific storm approached the California coast.
Snow fell over much of western Washington. Amounts varied from 1-10 inches with one site in Mount Vernon reporting 16 inches.
A very moist Pacific weather system interacted with a cold Arctic air mass over western Montana to produce strong gusty winds, cold temperatures, very cold wind chill temperatures, blowing snow and local whiteout conditions.
Heavy, wet snow accumulated to 3 to 6 inches over much of southern Wisconsin as surface low pressure tracked across Illinois.
Heavy snow began falling during the afternoon hours of February 23rd and continued into the morning hours of February 24th. The snow was heaviest over far northern Illinois.
A Cody, Wyoming man lost his life in a fatal wreck on U. S. Highway 310 in Carbon County. Montana Highway Patrol reported the 51-year-old man was driving a pickup northbound in snowy conditions. His truck fish-tailed into the other lane, hitting a semi trailer coming southbound.
A strong cold front entered Utah on the morning of February 23, producing gusty winds and heavy snow, primarily across the northern half of the state. Snow showers continued through the night and into the morning of the 24th, especially east and south of the Great Salt Lake.
Multiple rounds of wintry weather had occurred prior to this snowfall event. A cold front had moved through the region four days earlier on February 21st with a cold airmass in its wake.
An avalanche caught a skier on a mountain slope near Aspen, Colorado.
A combination of heavy wet snow and strong winds during the morning hours produced major impacts in parts of southeast Missouri. From 4 to 7 inches of heavy wet snow fell in the Perryville area, including most of Perry County.
During a winter that featured well-below normal snowfall and little in the way of high-impact weather across most of this 24-county South Central Nebraska area, this roughly 24-hour, multi-faceted event qualified as one of the more notable round of the season, featuring…
A fierce, late-winter storm produced heavy snow, freezing rain, and high winds across much of central and northern Wisconsin on February 23-24 as an area of low pressure rapidly deepened across the Great Lakes.
It started as a low pressure system moving south into eastern Washington, bringing a cold front southeastward across western Oregon. The front then stalled across the southern Willamette Valley and Lane County Cascades as colder and colder air moved in aloft.
A powerful bomb cyclone developing over the Central Plains and moving into the Great Lakes region produced heavy snow and blizzard conditions across much of the Upper Michigan from the 24th into early on the 25th.
A fairly quick-hitting-but-significant winter storm and blizzard struck roughly the southeastern half (and especially southeastern one-third) of South Central Nebraska on this Saturday, serving as a grand finale to a nine-day stretch of active winter weather.
A strong winter storm dumped 4 to 14 inches of snow across southeast Minnesota from February 23rd into the 24th. As the snow was winding down, the winds increased with sustained winds of 25 to 35 mph common along with gusts of 45 to 55 mph.
A strong winter storm dumped as much as 14 inches of snow across parts of western Wisconsin from February 23rd into the 24th. As the snow was winding down, the winds increased with sustained winds of 25 to 35 mph and gusts of 45 to 55 mph.
Another week, another winter storm system slated to affect the region. In this instance, a maturing 500 mb trough was pivoting through the region, planting Iowa firmly within its cross hairs and in subsequent strong northwest flow in its wake.
An extended atmospheric river event occurred for an entire week. Extremely heavy snow fell in the mountains with amounts at SNOTEL sites reaching as high as 5 to 8 feet for the week. Many roads closed through the mountains.
Widespread sleet and freezing rain occurred during the evening of the 23rd, followed by some patchy freezing drizzle or light rain overnight. A heavier round of precipitation on the 24th had little if any impact due to temperatures inching just above freezing.
A cold front sagged southward through the Mid-South on Tuesday, February 22, 2022, eventually stalling across central Mississippi by Wednesday, February 23, 2022. Cold air gradually deepened across northern sections of the Mid-South.
Wintry precipitation overspread southwestern Missouri during the morning hours of February 23, then the remainder of southern and central Missouri into the afternoon.
An arctic airmass was in place across Arkansas ahead of a storm system that brought several waves of wintry weather to the state.
A broad western trough brought lift and moisture into the region over top a frigid arctic airmass near the surface. This led to a prolonged period of mainly sleet on the 23rd and 24th, with thunder and lighting also observed at times.
Parts of southern Illinois received a winter storm, consisting of two periods of sleet and freezing rain. The winter storm area was generally along and west of a line from Mount Vernon to Marion to Anna-Jonesboro, including Carbondale.
Most of southeast Missouri received a winter storm, consisting of two periods of sleet and freezing rain. The winter storm area included all but the two Mississippi River counties bordering Kentucky.
A group of snowmobilers unintentionally triggered an avalanche in the Salt and Wyoming Range, about 15 miles south of Afton, above Poker Creek.
1 on February 23, oldest first.
The last five days of February were very warm with above normal temperatures and numerous high temperature records set. New records set included:Feb. 23: Birmingham 83 Huntsville 83 Montgomery 83Feb. 24: Anniston 84Feb. 26: Huntsville 77 (tied)Feb.
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Low temperatures dropped into the teens on February 24th, with a low temperature of 17 recorded at Chicago O'Hare Airport. One person died in Chicago due to cold exposure.
A cold airmass aloft in conjunction with clear skies and light winds allowed temperatures to drop down into the 20s and low 30s away from the coast for 3 consecutive mornings from Feb 23- Feb 25.
Two people died of cold-related causes in the Las Vegas Valley.
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Providence T.F. Green Airport recorded 42 inches, Rhode Island’s all-time maximum snow depth, as the State Climate Extremes Committee lists it.
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The Unnamed Fire was discovered on February 23, 1995, in Latimer County, Oklahoma, and burned 3,920 acres.
The Springer Fire was discovered on February 23, 1996, in Oklahoma, and burned 3,119 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Lakemurray Fire was discovered on February 23, 1996, in Oklahoma, and burned 2,584 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
Brush fires destroyed five homes, damaged a dozen others and seered 600 acres in Lehigh Acres. The fires ignited near Inez and Joan Avenues and spread to Sunshine Boulevard in Lehigh Acres.
The Mustang Fire was discovered on February 23, 2002, in Arizona, and burned 3,341 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Local Fire was discovered on February 23, 2003, in Riverside County, California, and burned 12,000 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.
The Unnamed Fire was discovered on February 23, 2003, in Hawaii County, Hawaii, and burned 1,824 acres.
The Borrego Fire was discovered on February 23, 2005, in Texas, and burned 950 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.
The Old Chisum Fire was discovered on February 23, 2007, in Chaves County, New Mexico, and burned 1,500 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.
The Unnamed Fire was discovered on February 23, 2007, in Adair County, Oklahoma, and burned 741 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Snyder Complex was discovered on February 23, 2008, in Scurry County, Texas, and burned 28,625 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Unnamed Fire started on February 23, 2008, in Texas, and burned 2,568 acres.
The Unnamed Fire was discovered on February 23, 2008, in Scurry County, Texas, and burned 1,968 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The West Fork Fire was discovered on February 23, 2009, in Jack County, Texas, and burned 2,275 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Half Bank Fire was discovered on February 23, 2009, in Atoka County, Oklahoma, and burned 1,200 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Burnt Trust Fire was discovered on February 23, 2009, in Oklahoma, and burned 1,120 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Fire 10137 was discovered on February 23, 2009, in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma, and burned 1,000 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Coke Ranch Fire was discovered on February 23, 2009, in Oklahoma, and burned 600 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.
The Big Hollow Fire was discovered on February 23, 2011, in Apache County, Arizona, and burned 4,922 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Cedar Bluff Fire was discovered on February 23, 2011, in Cherokee County, Oklahoma, and burned 1,300 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The No Go Fire was discovered on February 23, 2012, in Florida, and burned 1,712 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Lit Ranch Fire was reported on February 23, 2017, in Oldham County, Texas, and burned 12,913 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The 2017-117 Fire was reported on February 23, 2017, in Finney County, Kansas, and burned 4,480 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
Strong winds associated with a cold front caused very low visibility in blowing dust along I-82 south of Kennewick. This resulted in numerous accidents and a closure of the interstate.
An upper level low pressure system moved across the Great Basin bringing strong southwest winds across Cochise, Greenlee and Santa Cruz counties. The winds reduced visibility to between a quarter and a half mile for 3 hours along I-10 from Willcox eastward.
The MM 38 Fire was reported on February 23, 2022, in Mora County, New Mexico, and burned 1,705 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The WF5 Rum Creek Fire was reported on February 23, 2022, in DeSoto County, Florida, and burned 1,535 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Savage Highway Fire was reported on February 23, 2026, in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, and burned 1,405 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
23 on February 23, oldest first.
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Gangu, Gansu Province, China. It killed some people (about 51 to 100).
An earthquake struck Talqan, Rey (Ray), Afghanistan, Iran. It killed many people (about 101 to 1,000) and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Izmir,alasehir,denizli,aydin, Turkey. It killed 2,500 people and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
An earthquake struck Potosi, Bolivia.
An earthquake struck Gonabad, Iran. It did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
An earthquake struck Vence, Grasse, Nice, Liguria, France, Italy. It did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 6 earthquake struck Yunnan Province, China. It killed 129 people, injured 18 and destroyed 1,667 houses.
An earthquake struck Northern, Chile. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Ligurian Coast, Italy. It killed 600 people, injured 200 and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Peru.
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Gulf of Alaska, Alaska, United States. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Chile. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Xinjiang Province, China. It killed 21 people, injured 17, destroyed 1,010 houses and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Hualien, Taipei, Taiwan. It killed 11 people.
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Northern, Chile. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck Pereiro, Brazil. It killed 1 person and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Parasanga, Paletoang, Sulawesi, Indonesia. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 664 people, injured 97, destroyed 1,287 houses and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Kuril Islands, Russia. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Sistan, Iran. It killed 6 people, destroyed 300 houses and did $1.4 million in damage.
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck Paphos, Nicosia, Arodhes, Peristerona, Cyprus. It killed 2 people, injured 5, destroyed 70 houses and did $4.3 million in damage.
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Kangding, Yajiang, Sichuan Province, China. It killed 3 people, injured 109, destroyed 60,000 houses and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Tashigang, Bhutan. It destroyed 126 houses.
A magnitude 6 earthquake struck Van, Iran, Turkey. It killed 10 people, injured 141 and destroyed 255 houses.
1 on February 23, oldest first.
Bulusan, Philippines erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 2. It killed 1 person.
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A tsunami caused by a magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Liguria-Cote D'Azur, Italy.
A tsunami with a source recorded as earthquake struck Central Chile.
A tsunami with a source recorded as questionable earthquake struck Cape Barren Island, Australia, with a maximum water height of 0.9 meters.
A tsunami with a source recorded as earthquake and landslide struck Gulf of Alaska, AK, United States, with a maximum water height of 1.4 meters.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Northern Chile.
A tsunami with a source recorded as landslide struck Columbia River Valley, WA, United States, with a maximum water height of 3 meters. It did $3,000 in damage.
A tsunami struck Grecian Archipelago, Crete, Greece, with a maximum water height of 1 meters.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7 earthquake struck Northern Chile.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7 earthquake struck Makassar Strait, Indonesia, with a maximum water height of 4 meters. It killed 664 people, injured 97, destroyed 1,287 houses and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7 earthquake struck S. Kuril Islands, Russia, with a maximum water height of 0.16 meters.
A tsunami with a source recorded as meteorological struck Ubatuba, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
2 on February 23, oldest first.
A G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm began February 23, 1950, reached Kp 7 and lasted 24 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 49; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 50 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm began February 23, 1957, reached Kp 7 and lasted 18 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 62; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 50 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
1 on February 23, oldest first.
A severe storm disaster that cost $1.5 billion in 2024 dollars and killed 2, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from February 23, 2019 to February 25, 2019.
5 on February 23, oldest first.
Lightning struck a hill injuring 4 teenagers who were sledding there. Three of the victims were treated and released at the local hospital. One of the victims was injured critically and had to be transported to a regional medical facility.
The Times/Herald of Newnan reported that lightning struck a home blowing the electric meter out into the yard and destroying some wiring behind the stove. The incident also sparked a natural gas leak.
Warm, moist air moved over the cooler shelf waters of the Gulf of Mexico allowing for the formation of dense sea fog. The fog persisted for days over Tampa Bay and the nearshore waters of the Gulf.
Hazardous marine conditions affected the local waters. Strong rip current were observed along the north east and southeast beaches of Puerto Rico.
A long period northerly swell produced high surf and life-threatening rip currents along the northern coast of the islands during the last weekend of February.
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.