Natural hazards · El Monte

El Monte, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in El Monte comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1980. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is El Monte?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in El Monte to be higher than in 93% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes60%Inland flooding39%Everything else1%

By hazard

What El Monte faces

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

Earthquakes

60% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

39% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsCold 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 El Monte flood?

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

1paid claims since 1980

$835paid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19802026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Los Angeles County.

Disasters that hit El Monte

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into El MonteDeclared for Los Angeles County only

2025

Wildfires and Straight-Line Winds

180 households applied for aid $23K aid approved

2020

Wildfires

7 households applied for aid

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides

11 households applied for aid $832 aid approved $25K to the City of El Monte for repairs

2003

Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflow and Debris Flow Directly Related T

4 households applied for aid

Los Angeles County has had 74 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

Around El Monte

El Monte and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

North El Montemostly inland floodingVery high

Temple Citymostly earthquakesVery high

Rosemeadmostly earthquakesVery high

South El Montemostly earthquakesVery high

El Montemostly earthquakesVery high

Arcadiamostly earthquakesVery high

Industrymostly earthquakesVery high

Baldwin Parkmostly earthquakesVery high

Irwindalemostly 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 Monte covers 24 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to El Monte’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of El Monte. 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 Monte total about $66.0M 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.