Natural hazards · Cambria

Cambria, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Cambria comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 24 claims here since 1983. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Cambria?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Cambria to be higher than in 74% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding64%Earthquakes26%Wildfire6%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Cambria faces

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

Inland flooding

64% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Earthquakes

26% of expected damage

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

Wildfire

6% of expected damage

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

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtTsunamis

Not a risk here

HurricanesIce stormsCold wavesAvalanchesVolcanic 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 Cambria flood?

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

24paid claims since 1983

$430Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19832026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 5 claims, $78K
California Atmospheric River: 1 claim, $3K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Cambria 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 Luis Obispo County.

Disasters that hit Cambria

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CambriaDeclared for San Luis Obispo County only

2023

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

12 households applied for aid $35K aid approved

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

55 households applied for aid $111K aid approved

2003

Earthquake

88 households applied for aid $120K aid approved

San Luis Obispo County has had 24 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. Cambria covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Cambria’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Cambria. 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 Cambria total about $3.8M 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.