Natural hazards · Blackhawk

Blackhawk, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Blackhawk comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1991.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Blackhawk?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Blackhawk to be higher than in 88% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes55%Inland flooding40%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Blackhawk faces

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

Earthquakes

55% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

40% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsCold wavesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamis

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 Blackhawk flood?

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

1paid claims since 1991

$775paid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19912026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Contra Costa County.

Disasters that hit Blackhawk

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into BlackhawkDeclared for Contra Costa County only

Contra Costa County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Blackhawk

Blackhawk and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Danvillemostly inland floodingVery high

Camino Tassajaramostly inland floodingVery high

Diablomostly earthquakesVery high

Blackhawkmostly 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. Blackhawk covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Blackhawk’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Blackhawk. 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 Blackhawk total about $2.4M 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.