Natural hazards · Bonsall

Bonsall, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bonsall comes from wildfires, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Bonsall?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bonsall to be higher than in 98% of U.S. communities, mostly from wildfires and inland flooding.

Wildfire63%Inland flooding29%Earthquakes7%Everything else2%

By hazard

What Bonsall faces

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

Wildfire

63% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

29% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingIce stormsCold wavesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Bonsall flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Bonsall.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Bonsall 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.

Disasters that hit Bonsall

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BonsallDeclared for San Diego County only

2024

Severe Storm and Flooding

7 households applied for aid $58K aid approved

2020

Wildfires

1 household applied for aid

2017

Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflows, and Debris Flows

83 households applied for aid $146K aid approved

2007

Wildfires, Flooding, Mud Flows, and Debris Flows

11 households applied for aid

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides

3 households applied for aid $6K aid approved

San Diego County has had 44 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

Around Bonsall

Bonsall and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Bonsallmostly wildfiresVery high

Oceansidemostly inland floodingHigh

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. Bonsall covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bonsall’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Bonsall. 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 Bonsall total about $8.0M 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.