Natural hazards · Atwater

Atwater, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Atwater comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1980. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Atwater?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Atwater to be higher than in 61% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding55%Earthquakes33%Heat waves9%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Atwater faces

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

Inland flooding

55% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

33% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Heat waves

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherWildfireStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsCold wavesLandslidesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Atwater flood?

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

2paid claims since 1980

$12Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19802026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Merced County.

Disasters that hit Atwater

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into AtwaterDeclared for Merced County only

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

178 households applied for aid $587K aid approved $31K to the City of Atwater for repairs

Merced County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

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. Atwater covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Atwater’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Atwater. 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 Atwater total about $5.6M 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.