Natural hazards · Commerce

Commerce, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Commerce comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1983. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Commerce?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Commerce to be higher than in 87% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes.

Earthquakes89%Inland flooding11%

By hazard

What Commerce faces

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

Earthquakes

89% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

11% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 13% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsCold wavesWildfireDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Commerce flood?

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

1paid claims since 1983

$5Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19832026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Los Angeles County.

Disasters that hit Commerce

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CommerceDeclared for Los Angeles County only

2025

Wildfires and Straight-Line Winds

668 households applied for aid

2020

Wildfires

1 household applied for aid

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides

$5K to the City of Commerce for repairs

Los Angeles County has had 74 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

Around Commerce

Commerce and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Los Angelesmostly earthquakesVery high

Vernonmostly earthquakesVery high

Montebellomostly earthquakesVery high

East Los Angelesmostly earthquakesVery high

Bell Gardensmostly earthquakesVery high

Commercemostly earthquakesVery high

Downeymostly earthquakesVery high

Bellmostly 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. Commerce covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Commerce’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Commerce. 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 Commerce total about $41.9M 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.