Natural hazards · Colma

Colma, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Colma comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1987. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Colma?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Colma to be higher than in 91% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes79%Inland flooding20%

By hazard

What Colma faces

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

Earthquakes

79% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

20% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce 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 Colma flood?

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

1paid claims since 1987

$2Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19872026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Colma 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 Mateo County.

Disasters that hit Colma

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ColmaDeclared for San Mateo County only

2020

Wildfires

4 households applied for aid

San Mateo County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Colma

Colma and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

South San Franciscomostly earthquakesVery high

Colmamostly earthquakesVery high

Daly Citymostly 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. Colma covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Colma’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Colma. 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 Colma total about $4.7M 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.