Natural hazards · El Granada

El Granada, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in El Granada comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1998. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is El Granada?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in El Granada to be higher than in 88% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes42%Inland flooding26%Tsunamis25%Everything else7%

By hazard

What El Granada faces

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

Earthquakes

42% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

26% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tsunamis

25% of expected damage

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

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

HurricanesIce stormsCold wavesAvalanchesVolcanic 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 El Granada flood?

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

1paid claims since 1998

$20Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19982026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 1 claim, $20K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: San Mateo County.

Disasters that hit El Granada

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into El GranadaDeclared for San Mateo County only

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

13 households applied for aid $25K aid approved

2020

Wildfires

3 households applied for aid

San Mateo County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around El Granada

El Granada and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Moss Beachmostly earthquakesVery high

El Granadamostly earthquakesVery high

Half Moon Baymostly 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. El Granada covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to El Granada’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to El Granada. 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 El Granada total about $5.4M 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.