Every tornado, hurricane, flood, blizzard, heat wave, record, earthquake, eruption, tsunami, wildfire and geomagnetic storm on record for February 26, 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 6.8 earthquake struck S of Xundian, Yunnan Province, China. It killed 2,100 people and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
Earthquakes
An earthquake struck Al-Ladhiqiyah (Latakia), Syria. It killed 1,500 people and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck El Salvador-Guatemala. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 185 people, injured 100 and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
Tsunamis
A tsunami with a source recorded as questionable earthquake struck El Salvador-Guatemala, with a maximum water height of 2 meters. It killed 185 people, injured 100 and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
Floods
The Buffalo Creek flood was a disaster that occurred in Logan County, West Virginia, on February 26, 1972, when a coal slurry impoundment dam burst, causing significant loss of life and property damage.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Winter storms and snow
Snowstorm of February 26, 2007 was ranked category 3, Major, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Upper Midwest. It lasted from February 26, 2007 to March 4, 2007.
Winter storms and snow
Snowstorm of February 26, 1900 was ranked category 4, Crippling, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Northeast. It lasted from February 26, 1900 to March 3, 1900.
Winter storms and snow
Snowstorm of February 26, 1971 was ranked category 4, Crippling, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Northeast. It lasted from February 26, 1971 to March 6, 1971.
Tornadoes
An F3 tornado touched down in Copiah, Hinds, Rankin counties, Mississippi and tracked 69.7 miles, 60 yards wide at its widest, killing 8 and injuring 26.
Floods
Cyclone Xynthia was an exceptionally violent European windstorm which crossed Western Europe between 27 February and 1 March 2010. 6 inHg) on 27 February.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 6 earthquake struck Tachira (Lobatera), Venezuela. It killed 40 people.
Tornadoes
36 on February 26, oldest first.
An F2 tornado touched down in Alachua County, Florida and 200 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 4. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: La Crosse, FL.
An F3 tornado touched down in Osage, Tulsa counties, Oklahoma and tracked 4.8 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, injuring 18. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Turley, OK.
An F2 tornado touched down in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana and tracked 5.8 miles, killing 1 and injuring 15. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Hurricane, LA.
An F2 tornado touched down in Stephens County, Texas and tracked 2.1 miles, killing 2. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: N Ranger, TX.
An F3 tornado touched down in Copiah, Hinds, Rankin counties, Mississippi and tracked 69.7 miles, 60 yards wide at its widest, killing 8 and injuring 26.
An F3 tornado touched down in Perry, Greene, Wayne counties, Mississippi and tracked 29.1 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, killing 4 and injuring 20.
An F3 tornado touched down in Simpson, Rankin, Scott counties, Mississippi and tracked 71 miles, 60 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 34.
An F3 tornado touched down in Hardin County, Tennessee and tracked 0.1 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in Greene County, Alabama and tracked 4.3 miles, 50 yards wide at its widest.
An F1 tornado touched down in Jefferson County, Alabama and tracked 2 miles, 50 yards wide at its widest, killing 3.
An intense line of thunderstorms or bow echo configuration moved across the Mississippi River and struck the city of Natchez. Strong outflow from the bow echo produced estimated winds of 80 to 100 miles an hour in the city.
An F1 tornado touched down in Chicot State Park, and moved northeast across the Park towards St. Landry. A park ranger's residence was damaged, and three vehicles had trees fall on them.
A weak tornado touched down briefly about 7.4 miles south-southeast of Camden in Ouachita County. The tornado affected an area along Arkansas County Road 67, with damage confined to a hilltop. A barn, a shed and a portable office building were destroyed.
A weak tornado touched down briefly in the Twin Groves community of Faulkner County, or 3.1 miles south of Damascus. The tornado affected areas along the new unopened section of U.S. Highway 65.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Carroll County, Georgia and tracked 7.21 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, injuring 1.
A deep upper trough was moving from the mid-south toward the southeast U.S. early on the 26th. A strong cold front accompanied the upper system.
An advancing cold front moving through the state caused widespread wind damage and a few tornadoes across Central Alabama, especially in the eastern half of the state.
An EF1 tornado touched down in Jefferson County, Alabama and tracked 2.8 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, killing 1.
A cold front and squall line transited north Florida on Tuesday, February 26th, 2008.
The last storm of the month moved into western Merced County during the afternoon of February 26th, and brought record rain to Fresno that evening.
A strong cold front moved into the Nature Coast on the morning of the 26th, and passed south through Tampa bay through the afternoon.
An isolated EF-0 tornado coincident with a triple point low and in the warm sector east of a wedge front boundary produced minor damage near Selma in Johnston County.
A powerful storm system, with highly anomalous magnitudes of wind shear and moisture for late February, impacted the forecast area on the evening of the 26th.
An EF2 tornado touched down in Roger Mills County, Oklahoma and tracked 7 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 3.
A vigorous upper level system passed over the southern Great Plains on Sunday February 26th, 2023.
A slight risk for severe weather for much of the western half of the CWA along a dryline that sparked initial discrete cell west of HWY 83 that produced some hail over the size of quarters and an isolated tornado.
3 on February 26, oldest first.
Hurricane Theodore reached its peak of 115 kt (130 mph) with a central pressure of 930 mb, a category 4 storm.
Hurricane Vernon reached its peak of 110 kt (125 mph) with a central pressure of 950 mb, a category 3 storm.
Tropical Cyclone Urmil was the first of two named tropical cyclones in the 2025–26 South Pacific cyclone season, the other being Cyclone Vaianu. It formed on 26 February, and eventually was named on 27 February, becoming the latest first named storm on record in the South Pacific, beating 2017's Cyclone Bart by 6 days.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
12 on February 26, oldest first.
The Buffalo Creek flood was a disaster that occurred in Logan County, West Virginia, on February 26, 1972, when a coal slurry impoundment dam burst, causing significant loss of life and property damage.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A two year old girl drowned after the pickup truck driven by her mother was swept off a rain-swollen low water crossing on County Road 1550, six miles east of Willow Springs. Her mother was rescued.
A steady rain from about noon through midnight dropped from 2 to 4 inches of rain across St. Francois County. While no widespread flooding was reported, there was flooding in some of the usual low-lying areas, such as low water crossings.
A warmup at the end of Feburary, began melting the winter snowpack fairly quickly and helped break up an extensive ice pack on the upper Hudson and Mohawk Rivers. As a result, ice jams developed on the Mohawk and Hudson rivers.
The Wabash River flooded in late February. High water continued into March.
Heavy rain fell across parts of northern Illinois during the evening hours of February 26th which caused flooding and flash flooding across many areas.
Cyclone Xynthia was an exceptionally violent European windstorm which crossed Western Europe between 27 February and 1 March 2010. 6 inHg) on 27 February.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Following the very wet first three quarters of February, the last few days saw cold, showery systems move through the region from February 24th to the 28th. Light mountain snow was reported but nothing too significant.
Gusty trade winds helped keep showers moving as an upper trough induced downpours from the Big Island to Oahu. The precipitation caused ponding on roadways, and small stream and drainage ditch flooding.
The destruction of the Kozarovychi Dam, which separated the reclaimed floodplain of the Irpin River from the Kyiv Reservoir, was carried out by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on February 26, 2022, in order to prevent the advance of Russian troops during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. As a result, more than 2,800 hectares of land were flooded, as well as residential areas in the villages of Kozarovychi and Demydiv.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Local officials reported an ice jam along Great Gully Brook near where the brook enters into Cayuga Lake. Flooding extended along Great Gully Cove Road and Fire Lane number 8 from the walking bridge to the lake shore.
Multiple supercells developed during the mid to late afternoon hours, lasting into the mid evening hours. All of these thunderstorms produced hail, some of it large.
35 on February 26, oldest first.
An intense squall line raced through much of Oklahoma on this date in 1936. Hail up to 2 inches in diameter fell over the Fort Reno area, and stayed on the ground until 9 AM the next morning. The thunderstorms then struck Oklahoma City, where one-inch diameter hail was reported.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
A severe thunderstorm produced dime-size hail seven miles north of Welch.
High winds 30 to 40 mph with gusts in the 50 to 60 mph range enraged several grass fires and blew the shigles off of several homes around Amarillo.
Winds clocked at 77 mph roared through Ville Platte, uprooting trees, and damaging the roofs of over 50 homes and businesses.In Mamou, major damage occurred to a rice dryer, and several power poles were snapped.
One mobile home was destroyed, twenty homes received roof damage, numerous trees and power lines were blown down, blocking roads, and a rice dryer was severely damaged in the town of Lacassine.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across the Alexandria area. Two vehicles had trees land on them, slightly injuring five people. At least two homes were damaged from trees falling on them.
Three mobile homes and three barns were completely destroyed on Pousson Road, half way between Lacassine and Iowa. Five homes had roof damage. Several power poles were bent. At least two vehicles were completely destroyed. Winds were estimated to be between 80 and 100 mph.
The damage in northeast Louisiana was caused by a very intense bow echo which had moved across much of south Louisiana earlier in the morning. Widespread damage occurred all along this line of intense storm.
In the Moreauville/Cottonport area, several homes had their roofs damaged, and a mobile home was destroyed. Numerous garages and sheds were damaged, some used by the lumber industry in storing wood.
Three people were injured when their mobile home was blown off it's blocks.
Across northern Jeff Davis Parish, damage occurred in a line from Fenton to Elton. In Fenton, one permanent home was completely destroyed, and another five homes were severely damaged.
Two mobile homes were blown completely over but no injuries were reported. Numerous trees toppled.
Many trees were blown down in Washington.Also, damage occurred in western sections of the parish. Near Basile, one mobile home was destroyed, a carport was blown down, and numerous trees were uprooted.
Numerous trees and powerlines were felled. An area about a half mile wide by 3 miles long was suffered major damage. A roof was ripped off a local business and a radio station lost its transmitter.
Numerous reports of trees and powerlines toppled. Some trees that fell in and near the Linwood Drive Community caused minor roof damage to homes and removed some porches. Ten different locations in Marshall suffered damage with nearly 600 homes losing power.
Numerous trees toppled including one that fell across a home north of town
Trees and powerlines were blown over. A church steeple was blown off a church while several chicken houses were either damaged or destroyed.
Numerous trees were blown down on Lake Street, and the garden center at Wal-Mart on Highway 14 was damaged. One telephone pole was blown down, and a roof of a mobile home was damaged.
Severe thunderstorms produced damage to trees, power lines, and several structures across portions of southwest and south central Georgia.
A strong cold front moved across the region, producing spotty large hail and wind damage.
Severe thunderstorms produced large hail and caused tree damage in southwest Alabama.
A squall line developed across central Florida ahead of a slow moving cold front. Wind damage was reported in many areas from Leesburg to Melbourne to Daytona Beach.
A strong high far north of the state produced sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph, and gusts as high as 50 mph, over all the islands. In one instance, a woman in her 60s was hit by a falling branch on Oahu and critically injured. She later died.
Several severe thunderstorms occurred during the evening hours of the 26th. Most of the severe thunderstorms occurred across southeast Oklahoma.
A cluster of thunderstorms impacted southwest Missouri on the evening of 26 February. Large hail and damaging winds were the primary hazards.
Severe thunderstorms occurred across northwest Arkansas during the late afternoon and evening hours of the 26th.
A powerful storm (972mb) moved northwest into the southwest coast of Southern New England during the night of February 25th and remained stationary through February 27th.
A strong cold front pushed east across south central Arizona from the late evening on the 26th into the early morning hours on February 27th. Strong and gusty winds with the frontal passage caused damage in portions of the greater Phoenix metropolitan area.
Early on the 26th, an area of low pressure was located in the MidSouth, with a cold front stretching south across eastern Mississippi and a warm front stretching southeast toward the Georgia/Florida border.
A deep area of low pressure moved into the region increasing the pressure gradient resulting in high non-thunderstorm wind over the area. The damaging wind was primarily across the higher elevations and foothills. Numerous trees and powerlines were downed by the wind.
The triple point of a low pressure system passed just to the northwest of the area and helped to drag a cold front across the Pee Dee Region of South Carolina during the evening.
The second winter storm to bring widespread high wind damages and a snow squall to northern and central NM within the span of a week arrived on February 26, 2023.
An upper low was moving out of the Las Vegas, NV region and into northern New Mexico. A 100+ knot jet was moving across southern New Mexico.
This event consisted of a highly amplified weather pattern with an ejecting closed upper-low moving into the southern Rocky Mountains. This system and accompanying jet brought a high-end wind event to southeast New Mexico and much of west Texas.
A line of strong to severe thunderstorms moved into eastern Oklahoma during the late evening of the 26th and early morning of the 27th, with the approach of a very strong upper level disturbance and associated cold front.
42 on February 26, oldest first.
Snowstorm of February 26, 1900 was ranked category 4, Crippling, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Northeast. It lasted from February 26, 1900 to March 3, 1900.
Snowstorm of February 26, 1971 was ranked category 4, Crippling, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Northeast. It lasted from February 26, 1971 to March 6, 1971.
Low pressure moving through Northwest Wisconsin brought periods of freezing rain to Central, Northeast and East Central Wisconsin.
A strong low pressure system moving east out of the central rockies brought another blizzard to North Dakota. Winds of 20-30 mph combined with the snow to produce white-out conditions. Voters for North Dakota's primary were hampered in getting to the polling places.
A strong, slow-moving storm system dumped heavy snow on most of the state. The Snowbird ski resort received the most with 38". Generally the mountains received 1-3' of snow. Nephi and Kanab had the most in the valleys with 15".
An intense upper level low pressure system over Minnesota, combined with a Pacific cold front moving into the region, created strong winds and some heavy snowfall over portions of northwestern South Dakota.
Low pressure developed over Eastern Colorado on the 24th of February then moved east..northeast into Nebraska and intensifiedbefore moving into the northern plains during the early morning hours of the 25th.
Twelve to 42 inches of snow fell at elevations above 5000 feet. The roof of an equipment warehouse collapsed under the weight of the snow. Mountain residents reported heavy snow all day with the snow level as low as 3000 feet.
An ice storm affected mainly the southeast half of Arkansas from the night of the 25th into the morning of the 26th. Freezing rain overspread the area from the southwest during the evening of the 25th and continued into the morning hours of the 26th.
A series of low pressure systems that tracked from the Gulf Coast to Cape Hatteras dropped light snow off and on between the morning of the 26th and midday on the 28th. A total of 5 to 8 inches of snow accumulated across the northern third of Virginia during the storm.
A winter storm produced 1 to 4 inches of snow, along with sleet and 1/8 to 1/2 inch of ice accumulation, across central and eastern Virginia.
Snowstorm of February 26, 2004 was ranked category 2, Significant, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Southeast. It lasted from February 26, 2004 to February 28, 2004.
A mixture of freezing rain, sleet, and snow began falling over the area around 6 am. The light precipitation quickly changed to snow showers, falling heavily at times, with occasional thunder reported.
Heavy snow began to fall across the foothills, piedmont, and northern mountains of North Carolina during the late morning.
Heavy snow began to fall across much of the Upstate during the late morning. Although snowfall intensity decreased dramatically during the early-to-middle portion of the afternoon, heavy snow redeveloped during the late afternoon, and continued into the evening and overnight…
Another winter wedge of cold air in place across north and central Georgia combined with a strong upper-level storm system moving across the Midsouth to bring a mixture of snow and sleet to much of north and the northern parts of central Georgia.
A strong storm arrived on February 26th and continued into the morning of the 27th. This storm hit the area with a one-two punch, affecting southern sections on the 26th, then northern sections late on the 26th and the 27th.
3-6 INCHES OF SNOW
Snowstorm of February 26, 2007 was ranked category 3, Major, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Upper Midwest. It lasted from February 26, 2007 to March 4, 2007.
Northerly winds moving down the length of Lake Michigan resulted in a significant single band of lake effect snow Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. Snow totals reached over 18 inches as thunder and lightning were reported.
Low pressure moved northeast from the Tennessee Valley over the Ohio River by the morning hours of the 26th. Snow spread across the region during the late evening hours of the 25th and through the overnight hours into the 26th.
Low pressure across the Mississippi River Valley during the afternoon of February 25th moved through the Ohio River Valley on the 26th and across southern New England on the night of the 26th into the Gulf of Maine by the morning of February 27th.
A strengthening low pressure system tracked east from the Ohio Valley into southeast New York State during Tuesday February 26th, and into the Gulf of Maine by Wednesday morning on February 27th.
Low pressure moved from southern Pennsylvania to southern New England and spread a blanket of snow across the western southern tier and Finger Lakes regions of New York. Area-wide, snowfalls of eight to twelve inches were reported.
Low pressure across the Mississippi River Valley during the afternoon of February 25th moved through the Ohio River Valley on the 26th and across southern New England on the night of the 26th into the Gulf of Maine by the morning of February 27th.
Low pressure tracked across the midwest and redeveloped off the coast of Washington, D.C., tracking up the coast just east of Boston. This spread six to eight inches of snow across southern New Hampshire.
Snowstorm of February 26, 2009 was ranked category 2, Significant, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Southeast. It lasted from February 26, 2009 to March 3, 2009.
A mixture of light freezing rain and sleet fell across parts of Berks County, the Lehigh Valley and Poconos during the morning of the 26th. Precipitation started around 7 a.m. EST and temperatures rose above freezing after 9 a.m. EST.
A mix of snow, freezing rain, sleet, and some rain fell across South-central and Southeast Wisconsin during the overnight hours.
A fairly long snowfall event, with individual intense snowfall bands that created pockets of snowfall rates of three to four inches per hour, occurred across southern and central Minnesota on February 26.
A widespread wintry mix of precipitation moved across southeast South Dakota on February 26th; mainly during the daytime hours. Snowfall of 2 to 5 inches was reported north of Interstate 90, while south of the Interstate, precipitation was mostly freezing rain and sleet.
A fast moving winter storm passed through northeast Wisconsin during the evening rush hour. The storm dumped a swath of 4 to 6 inches of heavy, wet snow across much of northeast Wisconsin. A few locations received 8 to 10 inches of snow from the storm.
A 976 mb low near the northern Kamchatka Peninsula on the afternoon of the 26th tracked across the Chukotsk Peninsula during the afternoon of the 27th, and into the southern Chukchi Sea on the evening the 27th as a 983 mb low.
A strong low pressure system over the northeastern portion of the country pushed cold air into the Ohio Valley, resulting in a period of snow showers.
A strong low pressure system, both surface and aloft, moved out of the southwest U.S. through the central states into the northeast U.S. during the 25th through 27th of February. The surface low moved out of Oklahoma into Missouri on the morning of the 26th.
A dry storm system moved through the central California interior on February 18th, bringing a push of cold air that lowered temperatures briefly to near normal. Behind the cold front, gusty winds developed over the mountains and deserts on the 19th.
A low pressure system that moved off the South Carolina coast brought snow to New Castle and Kent Counties and heavy snow to Sussex County on the 26th. Snowfall averaged 3 to 6 inches in Sussex County, 2 to 4 inches in Kent County and around an inch or less in New Castle County.
A surge of relatively mild and moist air aloft led to snow and freezing drizzle across southern WI. Some vehicle slide-offs and accidents occurred. One death and two injuries resulted from a 3 vehicle accident on an icy road in the Town of Westport in Dane County.
Surface low pressure advanced from the Ohio Valley toward central New York. Model guidance waffled all over with the track of this system in the days before its arrival, eventually placing the low on a more southerly track.
A major winter storm brought heavy mountain and low elevation snow with blizzard conditions in the Sierra, where 5 to 7 feet of storm total snow was reported, with locally higher amounts. Significant power outages, school closures, and road closures were observed.
Another powerful and moist Pacific storm brought heavy snow and strong winds yet again to southeast Idaho. Multiple roads were closed again due to snow and wind with heavy amounts recorded.
Strong winds mixed down to the surface from a maximum within the subtropical jet. This resulted in strong, gusty winds across our forecast area. Shortly after, an upper-level trough moved down from the Pacific Northwest.
1 on February 26, oldest first.
Afternoon temperatures rose to near 80 degrees in some towns in the western lowlands. Sutton and Hamlin reported 81 degrees, Weston,Glenville, and Clendenin had 80, Charleston 79, Parkersburg 77, and Elkins 74.
2 on February 26, oldest first.
An unseasonably strong late season Arctic cold front raced through north and central Georgia during the mid-day and afternoon hours of the 26th on the heels of 20 to 30 mph northwest winds.
A cold front moved through the area on February 24th, with cold Canadian high pressure settling over the area behind the front.
47 on February 26, oldest first.
The Stewait Fire started on February 26, 1984, in Texas, and burned 3,693 acres.
The Blackwater Fire was discovered on February 26, 1992, in New Mexico, and burned 1,280 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.
The Wilma Fire was discovered on February 26, 1993, in New Mexico, and burned 2,500 acres.
The Farley Fire was discovered on February 26, 1996, in New Mexico, and burned 10,000 acres.
The Unnamed Fire was discovered on February 26, 1996, in Baldwin County, Alabama, and burned 520 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.
The Unnamed Fire started on February 26, 1998, in Florida, and burned 1,600 acres.
The Unnamed Fire was discovered on February 26, 2000, in Alachua County, Florida, and burned 3,713 acres; the cause was recorded as equipment and vehicle use.
The Dolan Fire was discovered on February 26, 2000, in Texas, and burned 1,000 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Welcome Command Fire was discovered on February 26, 2001, in Polk County, Florida, and burned 1,175 acres; the cause was recorded as equipment and vehicle use.
The Fultz Run Fire was discovered on February 26, 2002, in Virginia, and burned 4,200 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Monkey Face Fire was discovered on February 26, 2002, in Berkeley County, South Carolina, and burned 1,922 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Main Fire started on February 26, 2004, in Missouri, and burned 1,923 acres.
The Big Spring Fire was discovered on February 26, 2006, in Dallas County, Missouri, and burned 3,500 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Hotlum Fire was discovered on February 26, 2006, in Siskiyou County, California, and burned 2,815 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.
The Commanche Ranch Fire was discovered on February 26, 2008, in Dimmit County, Texas, and burned 2,000 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
A fire developed at a residence along Scenic Road on the west side of Raton, NM around 500 am on February 26th.
The Panther Creek Fire was discovered on February 26, 2009, in Llano County, Texas, and burned 2,000 acres; the cause was recorded as equipment and vehicle use.
The Pike Fire was discovered on February 26, 2009, in Carter County, Oklahoma, and burned 1,940 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The New Wales East Fire was discovered on February 26, 2009, in Polk County, Florida, and burned 1,500 acres; the cause was recorded as equipment and vehicle use.
The Nail Ranch Complex was discovered on February 26, 2009, in Shackelford County, Texas, and burned 1,300 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Fairfield Fire was discovered on February 26, 2011, in Florida, and burned 1,800 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Snag Field Fire was discovered on February 26, 2012, in Oklahoma, and burned 1,772 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Unnamed Fire started on February 26, 2012, in Oklahoma, and burned 1,237 acres.
A recently disturbed plot of land along Interstate 10 near San Simon resulted in daily closures of the roadway when southwest winds kicked up blowing dust and reduced visibility to near zero. On February 26th a multi-vehicle accident occurred.
The Newell Fire was reported on February 26, 2018, in Shackelford County, Texas, and burned 4,022 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The second powerful winter storm to affect the region in less than a week brought another round of highly impactful weather to West Texas.
A vigorous upper level system passed over the southern Great Plains on Sunday February 26th, 2023.
The Big Fin Flats Fire was reported on February 26, 2023, in Oldham County, Texas, and burned 5,569 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Solar Park Fire was reported on February 26, 2023, in Jeff Davis County, Texas, and burned 2,816 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
A good growing season through spring/summer 2023 led to decent fuel loading, compared to the previous couple of years, before vegetation went into winter dormancy.
A very strong segment of the jet stream associated with an upper level system dove down across northern and central NM February 26th and 27th.
The Smokehouse Creek Fire was a record-breaking wildfire affecting the northeastern Texas panhandle and western Oklahoma that started on February 26, 2024. The fire affected numerous communities in Hemphill and Roberts counties, including the town of Canadian.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Two separate range fires developed on February 26th. The first was in Logan County and a second began in Lincoln County and ended in western Custer County.
The combination of warm, dry and breezy conditions created favorable conditions for fire starts and spread.
The Smokehouse Creek Fire was reported on February 26, 2024, in Hutchinson County, Texas, and burned 1,054,153 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Windy Deuce Fire was reported on February 26, 2024, in Moore County, Texas, and burned 143,302 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Betty's Way Fire was reported on February 26, 2024, in Lincoln County, Nebraska, and burned 69,810 acres.
The Grape Vine Creek Fire was reported on February 26, 2024, in Gray County, Texas, and burned 34,883 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The East 1980 Road Fire was reported on February 26, 2024, in Choctaw County, Oklahoma, and burned 5,545 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The MA North Stinnett Fire was reported on February 26, 2024, in Hutchinson County, Texas, and burned 3,000 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Juliet Pass Fire was reported on February 26, 2024, in Armstrong County, Texas, and burned 2,963 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Sand Creek Fire was reported on February 26, 2024, in Harper County, Oklahoma, and burned 2,304 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Boiling Springs East Fire was reported on February 26, 2024, in Latimer County, Oklahoma, and burned 1,152 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
On 26 February 2025, a wildfire began in the southeast of Ōfunato, a city in the Iwate Prefecture of Japan. The fire grew to cover 2,900 ha before it was extinguished on 9 March, making it the largest wildfire in Japan in over 50 years.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Two Barrel Fire was reported on February 26, 2025, in Liberty County, Florida, and burned 1,943 acres.
The Rehder Creek Fire was reported on February 26, 2026, in Musselshell County, Montana, and burned 5,060 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Radar Rd (53) Fire was reported on February 26, 2026, in Polk County, Florida, and burned 2,000 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
18 on February 26, oldest first.
An earthquake struck Potosi, Bolivia.
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck S of Xundian, Yunnan Province, China. It killed 2,100 people and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
An earthquake struck Serbia, Balkans NW.
An earthquake struck Al-Ladhiqiyah (Latakia), Syria. It killed 1,500 people and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
An earthquake struck Santa Marta, Colombia. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 6 earthquake struck Tachira (Lobatera), Venezuela. It killed 40 people.
An earthquake struck Shiraz, Iran. It killed many people (about 101 to 1,000) and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck El Salvador-Guatemala. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 185 people, injured 100 and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
An earthquake struck New Zealand. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 1 person.
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Arequipa, Peru. It caused a tsunami.
An earthquake struck Sicily, Italy.
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Peru-Bolivia.
A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Miyazaki, Japan. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 2 people, injured 7 and destroyed 170 houses.
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck Garm, Khazora, Tajikistan. It did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Tori Shima, Okinawa, Japan. It injured 2. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck Pingtung, Taiwan.
A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck Kalgoorlie, Australia.
A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck Battagram, Pakistan. It injured 5.
1 on February 26, oldest first.
Gamalama, Indonesia erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 2. It killed 4 people.
6 on February 26, oldest first.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Santa Marta, Colombia.
A tsunami with a source recorded as questionable earthquake struck El Salvador-Guatemala, with a maximum water height of 2 meters. It killed 185 people, injured 100 and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A tsunami with a source recorded as questionable earthquake struck N. New Zealand. It killed 1 person.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck S. Peru.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Seikaido, Japan, with a maximum water height of 0.65 meters. It killed 2 people, injured 7 and destroyed 170 houses.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7 earthquake struck Ryukyu Islands, Japan, with a maximum water height of 0.1 meters.
2 on February 26, oldest first.
A G4 (severe) geomagnetic storm began February 26, 1992, reached Kp 8 and lasted 30 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 65; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 45 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm began February 26, 2023, reached Kp 7- and lasted 33 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 91; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 52 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
6 on February 26, oldest first.
Two rural homes burned to ground during the night with lightning known to be the cause of one, and suspected in the other. No injuries were reported. The fires were fanned by gusty winds.
A 5-year-old girl died after being pulled from the waters off Piti Beach. The girl was brought to Naval Hospital in unstable condition and in full cardiac arrest. The girl was taken off ventilation at the request of her parents at 1426.
High pressure aloft built over California behind the series of Pacific storms earlier in the month of February across central California.
A strong low level jet stream and abundant moisture for late winter produced scattered, elevated thunderstorms in central Illinois early in the morning. One of these thunderstorms produced a lightning strike which did extensive damage to a home near Decatur.
Extremely dense fog affected Sedgwick County from the late evening on the 26th through the morning on the 27th. Visibilities at times were near zero. Consequently, over 30 accidents occurred across the Wichita Metro between 5 am and noon on the 27th.
A 61-year-old male Saipan resident was swept out over the reef while snorkeling at Obyan Beach on southern Saipan about 1645 GST the afternoon of Tuesday, 26 February. He was reported missing at 1930 GST. His body has not been recovered, and he is presumed drowned.
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.