Natural hazards · Albany

Albany, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Albany comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Albany?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Albany to be higher than in 92% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes.

Earthquakes86%Inland flooding14%Everything else1%

By hazard

What Albany faces

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

Earthquakes

86% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

14% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtTsunamisVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesAvalanches

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 Albany flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Albany.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Alameda County.

Disasters that hit Albany

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into AlbanyDeclared for Alameda County only

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

17 households applied for aid $36K aid approved

Alameda County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Albany

Albany and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Berkeleymostly earthquakesVery high

Albanymostly earthquakesVery high

Richmondmostly earthquakesVery high

El Cerritomostly earthquakesVery high

San Franciscomostly earthquakesVery high

Kensingtonmostly earthquakesVery high

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. Albany covers 8 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Albany’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Albany. 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 Albany total about $19.9M 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.