Natural hazards · Delano

Delano, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Delano comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Delano?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Delano to be higher than in 47% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes47%Inland flooding32%Heat waves20%Everything else1%

By hazard

What Delano faces

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

Earthquakes

47% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

32% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 42% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Heat waves

20% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailWildfireStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesLandslidesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Delano flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Delano.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Kern County.

Disasters that hit Delano

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DelanoDeclared for Kern County only

2023

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

39 households applied for aid $23K aid approved

2010

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Debris and Mud Flows

$44K to the City of Delano for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides

1 household applied for aid

Kern County has had 37 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

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. Delano covers 10 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Delano’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Delano. 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 Delano total about $8.8M 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.