Natural hazards · Empire

Empire, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Empire comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1997.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Empire?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Empire to be higher than in 70% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding49%Earthquakes46%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Empire faces

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

Inland flooding

49% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Earthquakes

46% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% 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 Empire flood?

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

1paid claims since 1997

$141Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19972026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Stanislaus County.

Disasters that hit Empire

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Stanislaus County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Empire itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into EmpireDeclared for Stanislaus County only

Stanislaus County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Empire

Empire and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Empiremostly inland floodingHigh

Modestomostly inland floodingHigh

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. Empire covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Empire’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Empire. 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 Empire total about $9.3M 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.