Natural hazards · Diablo

Diablo, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Diablo comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2017. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Diablo?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

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

Earthquakes48%Inland flooding41%Wildfire8%Everything else2%

By hazard

What Diablo faces

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

Earthquakes

48% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

41% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Wildfire

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesLandslidesStrong windLightningAvalanchesVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsCold wavesDroughtTsunamis

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 Diablo flood?

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

1paid claims since 2017

$10Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20172026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Contra Costa County.

Disasters that hit Diablo

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DiabloDeclared for Contra Costa County only

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

19 households applied for aid $60K aid approved

2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides

2 households applied for aid

Contra Costa County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Diablo

Diablo and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Danvillemostly inland floodingVery high

Diablomostly earthquakesVery high

Blackhawkmostly earthquakesVery high

Alamomostly 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. Diablo covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Diablo’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Diablo. 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 Diablo total about $3.6M 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.