Natural hazards · Cupertino

Cupertino, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Cupertino comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 1995. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Cupertino?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Cupertino to be higher than in 89% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes67%Inland flooding32%Everything else2%

By hazard

What Cupertino faces

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

Earthquakes

67% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

32% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times 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 Cupertino flood?

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

10paid claims since 1995

$812Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19952026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 4 claims, $84K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 20% off flood insurance. Cupertino is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Santa Clara County.

Disasters that hit Cupertino

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CupertinoDeclared for Santa Clara County only

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

9 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2020

Wildfires

24 households applied for aid

2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$431K to the City of Cupertino for repairs

Santa Clara County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and fires.

Around Cupertino

Cupertino and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Santa Claramostly earthquakesVery high

San Josemostly earthquakesVery high

Los Altosmostly earthquakesVery high

Saratogamostly earthquakesVery high

Cupertinomostly earthquakesVery high

Sunnyvalemostly 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. Cupertino covers 13 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Cupertino’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Cupertino. 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 Cupertino total about $62.8M 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.