NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Imperial, CA
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
1 tropical system has passed within 75 miles of Imperial, California since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Nora in 1997. Since 1950, 3 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 1
- Tornadoes
- 3
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Imperial
None of the 1 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Imperial; the strongest was Nora in 1997, a tropical storm with 49 mph winds when its centre passed 46 miles away. Imperial has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 98% of the 705 California cities on this site. The strongest of the 3 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F1 on August 29, 1993; its path came within 1 mile. The most recent tornado was on September 24, 1997. Of the 705 California cities, 87% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Imperial. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 7 times since 1990, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Imperial has more hail reports within 10 miles than 76% of the 705 California cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Imperial
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | NoraSep 25 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Imperial: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Imperial
By decade
- 1990s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29, 1993 | F1 | 1 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 24, 1997 | F0 | 6 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 5, 1992 | F0 | 1 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 3 of 3, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Imperial
The Storm Prediction Center has 7 hail reports within 10 miles of Imperial since 1990, made on 6 separate days. Of these, 5 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently August 27, 2010. The most recent report is from July 18, 2015.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Imperial
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Imperial, CA, 1 mile east of Imperial. August is the warmest, with an average high of 105°F and low of 78°F; December is the coolest, at 68°F and 42°F. January is the wettest at 0.5 inches of precipitation on average and June the driest at 0.0 inches; the year adds up to 2.8 inches over 7 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 178 days a year, almost all from March to November. Lows fall below freezing on about 4 nights a year. That 2.8 inches is more than at 2 of the 226 California stations used on this site (1%). El Centro, 5 miles south, has its own station (El Centro 2 SSW, CA): 2.6 inches a year, 0.2 less than here, and an August average high of 107°F against 105°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 69 | 43 | 0.5 | 1 |
| Feb | 72 | 47 | 0.4 | 1 |
| Mar | 78 | 52 | 0.3 | 1 |
| Apr | 84 | 56 | 0.1 | 0 |
| May | 93 | 63 | 0.1 | 0 |
| Jun | 101 | 70 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Jul | 104 | 77 | 0.1 | 0 |
| Aug | 105 | 78 | 0.2 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 73 | 0.3 | 1 |
| Oct | 89 | 61 | 0.2 | 0 |
| Nov | 77 | 50 | 0.2 | 0 |
| Dec | 68 | 42 | 0.4 | 1 |
| Year | 87 | 59 | 2.8 | 7 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Imperial, CA, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Imperial
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 66 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Imperial: 50 thunderstorm wind reports, 12 flash floods, 3 floods and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $923,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 70 mph, on August 21, 2014. September has had the most flash floods, 8 of 12. Of the 550 California cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 322 have had fewer than Imperial.
August 3, 2017: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Imperial — $250,000 damage.
September 8, 2017: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Imperial — $100,000 damage.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Imperial County, which includes Imperial, has been named in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1976, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 floods, 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 earthquakes). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Hilary, on November 21, 2023. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Imperial County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for inland flooding; Relatively Moderate for strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail and lightning. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $147.6 million a year, the 30th highest of 58 California counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $42.5 million (29%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Imperial
- El Centro, CA5 mi
- Heber, CA10 mi
- Brawley, CA11 mi
- Calexico, CA13 mi
- Holtville, CA14 mi
- Calipatria, CA20 mi
- Niland, CA33 mi
- Borrego Springs, CA45 mi
- Thermal, CA51 mi
- Campo, CA53 mi
- Pine Valley, CA53 mi
- San Luis, AZ53 mi
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