Natural hazards · Garden Grove

Garden Grove, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Garden Grove comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 60 claims here since 1979. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Garden Grove?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Garden Grove to be higher than in 85% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes65%Inland flooding33%Everything else1%

By hazard

What Garden Grove faces

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

Earthquakes

65% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

33% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Garden Grove flood?

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

60paid claims since 1979

$356Kpaid to owners

5homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 3 claims, $6K
Winter storm: 2 claims, $46K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Orange County.

Disasters that hit Garden Grove

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Garden GroveDeclared for Orange County only

2017

Wildfires

66 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2010

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Debris and Mud Flows

$17K to the City of Garden Grove for repairs

2007

Wildfires, Flooding, Mud Flows, and Debris Flows

2 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides

6 households applied for aid

Orange County has had 36 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

Around Garden Grove

Garden Grove and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Seal Beachmostly inland floodingVery high

Los Alamitosmostly earthquakesVery high

Orangemostly earthquakesVery high

Santa Anamostly earthquakesVery high

Garden Grovemostly earthquakesVery high

Stantonmostly earthquakesVery high

Anaheimmostly earthquakesVery high

Westminstermostly earthquakesVery high

Fountain Valleymostly 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. Garden Grove covers 33 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Garden Grove’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Garden Grove. 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 Garden Grove total about $77.2M 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.