Natural hazards · Capitola

Capitola, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Capitola comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 75 claims here since 1978. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Capitola?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Capitola to be higher than in 90% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes63%Inland flooding27%Tsunamis9%Everything else1%

By hazard

What Capitola faces

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

Earthquakes

63% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

27% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tsunamis

9% of expected damage

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

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

HurricanesIce stormsCold wavesDroughtAvalanchesVolcanic 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 Capitola flood?

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

75paid claims since 1978

$2.4Mpaid to owners

11homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

California Atmospheric River: 8 claims, $1.0M
Pineapple Express - Southern: 4 claims, $185K
December California Flooding: 2 claims, $77K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (4) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Capitola 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 Capitola

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CapitolaDeclared for Santa Cruz County only

2023

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

15 households applied for aid $54K aid approved

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

66 households applied for aid $111K aid approved $1.0M to the City of Capitola for repairs

2020

Wildfires

19 households applied for aid $500 aid approved

2011

Tsunami Waves

$5K to the City of Capitola for repairs

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

Around Capitola

Capitola and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Soquelmostly earthquakesVery high

Capitolamostly earthquakesVery high

Pleasure Pointmostly earthquakesVery high

Seacliffmostly earthquakesVery high

Live Oakmostly earthquakesVery 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. Capitola covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Capitola’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Capitola. 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 Capitola total about $11.2M 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.