Natural hazards · Chico

Chico, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Chico comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 14 claims here since 1998. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Chico?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Chico to be higher than in 60% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes50%Inland flooding45%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Chico faces

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

Earthquakes

50% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

45% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 55% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsCold wavesAvalanchesTsunamis

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 Chico flood?

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

14paid claims since 1998

$607Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19982026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 1 claim, $2K

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

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

Insurance rates: Butte County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Chico

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ChicoDeclared for Butte County only

2023

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

74 households applied for aid $77K aid approved

2020

Wildfires

362 households applied for aid $13K aid approved

2018

Wildfires

631 households applied for aid $1.4M aid approved $107K to the City of Chico for repairs

2017

Wildfires

218 households applied for aid $5K aid approved

2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$2K to the City of Chico for repairs

1999

Ca-Wildfires-08/25/1999

$11K to the City of Chico for repairs

Butte County has had 33 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and severe storms.

Around Chico

Chico and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Butte Creek Canyonmostly inland floodingVery high

Durhammostly inland floodingHigh

Chicomostly earthquakesHigh

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. Chico covers 17 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Chico’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Chico. 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 Chico total about $31.6M 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.