Natural hazards · Ashland

Ashland, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Ashland comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1998.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Ashland?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Ashland to be higher than in 89% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes71%Inland flooding28%Everything else2%

By hazard

What Ashland faces

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

Earthquakes

71% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

28% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailHeat wavesLandslidesStrong windLightningVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireDroughtAvalanchesTsunamis

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 Ashland flood?

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

1paid claims since 1998

$4Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19982026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 1 claim, $4K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Ashland 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 Ashland

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Alameda County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Ashland itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into AshlandDeclared for Alameda County only

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

Around Ashland

Ashland and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

San Leandromostly earthquakesVery high

San Lorenzomostly earthquakesVery high

Cherrylandmostly earthquakesVery high

Ashlandmostly earthquakesVery high

Castro Valleymostly 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. Ashland covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Ashland’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Ashland. 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 Ashland total about $11.9M 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.