Natural hazards · Discovery Bay

Discovery Bay, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Discovery Bay comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1982. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Discovery Bay?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Discovery Bay to be higher than in 91% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding74%Earthquakes24%Everything else2%

By hazard

What Discovery Bay faces

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

Inland flooding

74% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

24% of expected damage

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

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 Discovery Bay flood?

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

7paid claims since 1982

$51Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19822026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 1 claim, $16K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Discovery Bay 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 Discovery Bay

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Discovery BayDeclared for Contra Costa County only

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

15 households applied for aid $300 aid approved

Contra Costa County has had 17 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. Discovery Bay covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Discovery Bay’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Discovery Bay. 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 Discovery Bay total about $9.8M 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.