Natural hazards · Durham

Durham, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Durham comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1998. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Durham?

77
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Durham to be higher than in 77% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding55%Earthquakes38%Everything else6%
By hazard

What Durham faces

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

Inland flooding

55% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

38% 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 Durham flood?

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

1paid claims since 1998
$2Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19982026

Biggest named events

  • Pineapple Express - Southern: 1 claim, $2K
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Durham isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Butte County.
Disasters that hit Durham

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DurhamDeclared for Butte County only
2023

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

1 household applied for aid
2020

Wildfires

9 households applied for aid
2018

Wildfires

13 households applied for aid
2017

Wildfires

13 households applied for aid $500 aid approved
Butte County has had 33 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires 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. Durham covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Durham’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Durham. 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 Durham total about $2.8M 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.

The door’s open

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Durham, CAView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map
Loading boundary…

Durham is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/19 · 2025-01-01