Natural hazards · Gilroy

Gilroy, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Gilroy comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 21 claims here since 1982. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Gilroy?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Gilroy to be higher than in 96% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes61%Inland flooding37%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Gilroy faces

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

Earthquakes

61% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

37% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 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 Gilroy flood?

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

21paid claims since 1982

$287Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19822026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Gilroy is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Santa Clara County.

Disasters that hit Gilroy

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GilroyDeclared for Santa Clara County only

2023

Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

1 household applied for aid $3K aid approved

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

31 households applied for aid $23K aid approved

2020

Wildfires

57 households applied for aid

Santa Clara County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and fires.

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. Gilroy covers 9 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Gilroy’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Gilroy. 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 Gilroy total about $43.5M 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.