Bonita’s biggest natural hazard is inland flooding
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bonita comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 1980. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.
What stands out about Bonita’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
How exposed is Bonita?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 80% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.
Calmer than 1,177 of the 1,619 California towns we cover.
Bonita covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.
What Bonita faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Inland flooding
Earthquakes
Does Bonita flood? Sometimes: 10 flood claims since 1980
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Bonita, from FEMA’s records.
- The San Diego Flooding2 claims · $52K
- The Pineapple Express - Southern1 claim · $6K
Bonita isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: San Diego County.5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Bonita
Disasters that paid out in Bonita itself (aid to households or repair grants to Bonita) and its biggest flood years.
- 2024Severe Storm and Flooding36 households applied for aid$33K aid approved
- 2020Wildfires7 households applied for aid
- 2007Wildfires, Flooding, Mud Flows, and Debris Flows6 households applied for aid
- 2004Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides15 households applied for aid$26K aid approved
- 2003Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflow and Debris Flow Directly Related T2 households applied for aid
San Diego County has had 44 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.
Old photos of Bonita after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Bonita archive →Get ready for what Bonita actually faces
A short kit for its top hazards, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- Keep a shovel, a blanket and snacks in the car.
- Clear snow from furnace and dryer vents.
- Check on older neighbors when the power goes out.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Bonita and its neighbors
Bonita has the highest rating of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Rating | Mostly | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonita | Very high | inland flooding | 10 |
| National City | High | earthquakes | 42 |
| La Presa | High | inland flooding | 33 |
| San Diego | High | earthquakes | 589 |
| Chula Vista | High | inland flooding | 16 |
Rating = expected yearly storm and flood damage as a share of what’s there, vs. U.S. communities. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Most disasters here begin in December–February
The month each of San Diego County’s 44 declared disasters began, since 1953.
What these numbers can and can’t tell you
- An average, not a forecast. FEMA’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 there, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings.
- Money that reached town. Flood claims are matched to Bonita’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Bonita.
- It follows property value. FEMA’s model weighs damage to buildings, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels. Across Bonita, expected losses total about $10.4M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Bonita.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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. Weather alerts: National Weather Service. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. An average of past damage, not a forecast.