Natural hazards · Eastern Goleta Valley

Eastern Goleta Valley, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Eastern Goleta Valley comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 1980.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Eastern Goleta Valley?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Eastern Goleta Valley to be higher than in 99% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding61%Earthquakes38%Everything else1%

By hazard

What Eastern Goleta Valley faces

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

Inland flooding

61% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

38% of expected damage

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

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Eastern Goleta Valley flood?

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

10paid claims since 1980

$57Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

California Atmospheric River: 1 claim, $4K
Pineapple Express - Southern: 1 claim, $436

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Santa Barbara County.

Disasters that hit Eastern Goleta Valley

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Santa Barbara County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Eastern Goleta Valley itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into Eastern Goleta ValleyDeclared for Santa Barbara County only

Santa Barbara County has had 35 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and fires.

Around Eastern Goleta Valley

Eastern Goleta Valley and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Eastern Goleta Valleymostly inland floodingVery high

Santa Barbaramostly earthquakesVery high

Goletamostly 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. Eastern Goleta Valley covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Eastern Goleta Valley’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Eastern Goleta Valley. 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 Eastern Goleta Valley total about $30.2M 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.