Natural hazards · Brookdale

Brookdale, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Brookdale comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 17 claims here since 1980. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Brookdale?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Brookdale to be higher than in 99% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding60%Earthquakes34%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Brookdale faces

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

Inland flooding

60% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

34% of expected damage

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

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsCold wavesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Brookdale flood?

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

17paid claims since 1980

$373Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 7 claims, $184K
California Atmospheric River: 2 claims, $87K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Santa Cruz County.

Disasters that hit Brookdale

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BrookdaleDeclared for Santa Cruz County only

2023

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

39 households applied for aid $106K aid approved

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

22 households applied for aid $67K aid approved

2020

Wildfires

154 households applied for aid $202K aid approved

Santa Cruz County has had 29 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Brookdale

Brookdale and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Boulder Creekmostly inland floodingVery high

Brookdalemostly inland floodingVery high

Ben Lomondmostly inland floodingVery 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. Brookdale covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Brookdale’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Brookdale. 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 Brookdale total about $6.1M 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.