Natural hazards · Brawley

Brawley, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Brawley comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1982. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Brawley?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Brawley to be higher than in 91% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes64%Inland flooding34%Everything else2%

By hazard

What Brawley faces

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

Earthquakes

64% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

34% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesAvalanchesTsunamis

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 Brawley flood?

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

1paid claims since 1982

$411paid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19822026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Imperial County.

Disasters that hit Brawley

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BrawleyDeclared for Imperial County only

2010

Earthquake

$32K to the City of Brawley for repairs

Imperial County has had 13 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. Brawley covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Brawley’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Brawley. 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 Brawley total about $19.3M 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.