Natural hazards · Davis

Davis, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Davis comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 15 claims here since 1982. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Davis?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Davis to be higher than in 64% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes53%Inland flooding44%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Davis faces

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

Earthquakes

53% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

44% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 59% 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 Davis flood?

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

15paid claims since 1982

$294Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19822026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 2 claims, $8K
California Atmospheric River: 1 claim, $21K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Yolo County.

Disasters that hit Davis

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DavisDeclared for Yolo County only

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$261K to the City of Davis for repairs

2020

Wildfires

83 households applied for aid $13K aid approved

2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$180K to the City of Davis for repairs

2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides

$3K to the City of Davis for repairs

Yolo County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

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. Davis covers 14 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Davis’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Davis. 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 Davis total about $16.7M 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.