Natural hazards · Carpinteria

Carpinteria, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Carpinteria comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 30 claims here since 1978. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Carpinteria?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

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

Earthquakes59%Inland flooding32%Wildfire5%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Carpinteria faces

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

Earthquakes

59% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

32% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Wildfire

5% of expected damage

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

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailHeat wavesLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtTsunamis

Not a risk here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold 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 Carpinteria flood?

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

30paid claims since 1978

$533Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 4 claims, $65K
California Atmospheric River: 2 claims, $74K
Mid-Winter California Flooding: 2 claims, $165K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 05% off flood insurance. Carpinteria is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 9) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Santa Barbara County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1buildings floodproofed

Disasters that hit Carpinteria

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CarpinteriaDeclared for Santa Barbara County only

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

38 households applied for aid $50K aid approved $67K to the City of Carpinteria for repairs

2017

Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflows, and Debris Flows

180 households applied for aid $122K aid approved $234K to the City of Carpinteria for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides

15 households applied for aid $16K aid approved $43K to the City of Carpinteria for repairs

Santa Barbara County has had 35 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and fires.

Around Carpinteria

Carpinteria and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Toro Canyonmostly landslidesVery high

Carpinteriamostly 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. Carpinteria covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Carpinteria’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Carpinteria. 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 Carpinteria total about $21.8M 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.