Natural hazards · Cave Creek

Cave Creek, AZ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Cave Creek comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2007. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Cave Creek?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Cave Creek to be higher than in 57% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and heat waves.

Inland flooding51%Heat waves32%Wildfire13%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Cave Creek faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

51% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Heat waves

32% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about 21 times a year in the area

Wildfire

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailWinter weatherEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingIce stormsCold wavesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Cave Creek flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Cave Creek, from FEMA’s records.

1paid claims since 2007

$87Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20072026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Cave Creek isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Maricopa County.

Disasters that hit Cave Creek

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Cave Creek itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Town of Cave Creek.

Brought FEMA money into Cave CreekDeclared for Maricopa County only

2014

Severe Storms and Flooding

$37K to the Town of Cave Creek for repairs

Maricopa County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

Around Cave Creek

Cave Creek and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

New Rivermostly inland floodingHigh

Scottsdalemostly inland floodingHigh

Cave Creekmostly inland floodingModerate

Phoenixmostly heat wavesModerate

Carefreemostly inland floodingModerate

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Cave Creek covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Cave Creek’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Cave Creek. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Cave Creek total about $7.5M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.