Natural hazards · Fair Oaks

Fair Oaks, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fair Oaks comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 36 claims here since 1978. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Fair Oaks?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Fair Oaks to be higher than in 20% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding76%Earthquakes21%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Fair Oaks faces

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

Inland flooding

76% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 37% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

21% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% 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 Fair Oaks flood?

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

36paid claims since 1978

$598Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 2 claims, $4K
California Atmospheric River: 1 claim, $16K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Sacramento County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Fair Oaks

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Fair OaksDeclared for Sacramento County only

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

71 households applied for aid $61K aid approved

2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides

3 households applied for aid $5K aid approved

Sacramento County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Fair Oaks

Fair Oaks and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Folsommostly inland floodingModerate

Gold Rivermostly inland floodingModerate

Citrus Heightsmostly inland floodingModerate

Orangevalemostly inland floodingLow

Rancho Cordovamostly inland floodingLow

Carmichaelmostly inland floodingLow

Fair Oaksmostly inland floodingLow

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. Fair Oaks covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Fair Oaks’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Fair Oaks. 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 Fair Oaks total about $6.1M 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.