Natural hazards · Mesa

Mesa, AZ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Mesa comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 37 claims here since 1978. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Mesa?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Mesa to be higher than in 60% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and heat waves.

Inland flooding49%Heat waves47%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Mesa faces

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

Inland flooding

49% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Heat waves

47% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 23 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingIce stormsCold wavesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Mesa flood?

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

37paid claims since 1978

$701Kpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

19782026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Mesa 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 Mesa

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Mesa itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Mesa.

Brought FEMA money into MesaDeclared for Maricopa County only

2014

Severe Storms and Flooding

$422K to the City of Mesa for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

$8K to the City of Mesa for repairs

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

Around Mesa

Mesa and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Queen Creekmostly inland floodingHigh

Tempemostly inland floodingHigh

Gilbertmostly inland floodingHigh

Mesamostly inland floodingHigh

Chandlermostly heat wavesModerate

Apache Junctionmostly inland floodingLow

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. Mesa covers 118 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Mesa’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Mesa. 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 Mesa total about $226M 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.