Natural hazards · Cathedral

Cathedral, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Cathedral comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 18 claims here since 2008. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Cathedral?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Cathedral to be higher than in 92% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding55%Earthquakes44%Everything else1%

By hazard

What Cathedral faces

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

Inland flooding

55% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

44% of expected damage

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

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingIce 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 Cathedral flood?

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

18paid claims since 2008

$1.9Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20082026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Hilary: 16 claims, $1.9M

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Riverside County.

Disasters that hit Cathedral

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CathedralDeclared for Riverside County only

2023

Tropical Storm Hilary

$2.4M to the City of Cathedral for repairs

2019

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$36K to the City of Cathedral for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Debris and Mud Flows

$39K to the City of Cathedral for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides

3 households applied for aid $4K aid approved $12K to the City of Cathedral for repairs

Riverside County has had 61 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

Around Cathedral

Cathedral and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Rancho Miragemostly inland floodingVery high

Thousand Palmsmostly earthquakesVery high

Desert Hot Springsmostly earthquakesVery high

Garnetmostly earthquakesVery high

Cathedral Citymostly inland floodingVery high

Palm Springsmostly 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. Cathedral covers 14 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Cathedral’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Cathedral. 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 Cathedral total about $36.1M 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.