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Despite the existence instruments created to predict the weather, sometimes, Mother Nature throws a curveball.
What was forecasted as a Category 1 hurricane, an F1 tornado, a minor flood, a small fire, or a light dusting of snow, can turn into an extremely unpredictable weather pattern without warning.
While there are systems in place to help people in the path of destruction prepare for devastating weather events (like evacuations ahead of a hurricane), that wasn't always the case. To this day, ruinous weather patterns can move in with little to no notice and all Californians can do is hope for the best and brace for the worst.
According to a list compiled by LoveExploring, the "most shocking" weather event to ever occur in California was the Gigafire of 2020. This devastating storm killed more than 30 people, covered over a million acres of land, and is known as the most catastrophic weather event in California history.
***This list was made prior to the January 2025 wildfires currently plaguing Los Angeles***
Here's what LoveExploring detailed about the state's worst weather event of all time:
"The Camp Fire, which raged in northern California in 2018, is the deadliest wildfire in the state by some margin, killing 85 people. The wildfires in 2020, however, surpassed the record for the sheer acreage affected twice over, with more than four million acres scorched. The year 2020 also saw five of the six largest fires since records began in 1932 – and the first ‘gigafire,’ covering more than a million acres, in modern history. More than 30 people died in the blazes. Meanwhile, the 2021 Dixie Fire was California's largest single source wildfire in recorded history, and the most expensive wildfire to fight in US history, costing $637.4 million to suppress."
For a continued list of the most shocking weather events to occur in each state, visit loveexploring.com.