Natural hazards · Berkeley

Berkeley, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Berkeley comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 15 claims here since 1978. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Berkeley?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Berkeley to be higher than in 94% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes.

Earthquakes88%Inland flooding11%

By hazard

What Berkeley faces

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

Earthquakes

88% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtTsunamisVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

HurricanesIce stormsCold 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 Berkeley flood?

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

15paid claims since 1978

$83Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 5 claims, $7K
California Atmospheric River: 2 claims, $5K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Berkeley 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone homes bought out and moved

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Berkeley

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BerkeleyDeclared for Alameda County only

2023

Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$184K to the City of Berkeley for repairs

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

121 households applied for aid $392K aid approved $123K to the City of Berkeley for repairs

2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides

$245K to the City of Berkeley for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

$27K to the City of Berkeley for repairs

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

Around Berkeley

Berkeley and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Berkeleymostly earthquakesVery high

Oaklandmostly earthquakesVery high

Albanymostly earthquakesVery high

Emeryvillemostly 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. Berkeley covers 34 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Berkeley’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Berkeley. 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 Berkeley total about $190M 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.