El Cajon, California tornadoes
4confirmed tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of El Cajon since NOAA records began in 1950. Most recent: March 19, 1991, F1.
Every tornado path within 10 miles
Each path is a straight line from where the tornado started to where it ended, which is all most NOAA records hold. Tap a path for its details.
Recent warnings near El Cajon
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At a glance
Deaths and injuries are NOAA's totals for each tornado's whole path, which can run well beyond El Cajon.
When tornadoes hit here
By month
January is the peak month, with 2 of 4 tornadoes.
By time of day
Most often around 5:00 AM. Times as recorded by NOAA, mostly Central Standard Time.
By year, 1950 to 2025
The line is the five-year average. Tornadoes before about 1953 were under-reported, and better radar since the 1990s finds more weak ones.
By rating
Ratings before February 2007 use the original F scale; the numbers line up with today's EF scale. Unknown means NOAA could not assign a rating.
Notable tornadoes
All 4 tornadoes, newest first
| Date | Rating | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 19, 1991 | F1 | 1 mi | 440 yd | 0 | 0 |
| Jan 14, 1990 | F0 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | 0 | 0 |
| Feb 4, 1985 | F0 | 0.1 mi | 17 yd | 0 | 0 |
| Jan 18, 1979 | F0 | 0.1 mi | 30 yd | 0 | 0 |
El Cajon and its county
El Cajon is in San Diego County, where NOAA has recorded 27 tornadoes since 1950. A county's record counts every tornado inside its borders, while this page counts every path within 10 miles of the city, so the two overlap without matching.
Nearby cities
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Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025. City point and population: US Census Bureau, 2024. Each path is a straight line between NOAA's start and end points.