Natural hazards · Glendale

Glendale, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Glendale comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 36 claims here since 1978. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Glendale?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

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

Earthquakes54%Inland flooding43%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Glendale faces

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

Earthquakes

54% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

43% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsTsunamisVolcanic 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 Glendale flood?

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

36paid claims since 1978

$405Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

California Atmospheric River: 1 claim, $5K
Pineapple Express - Southern: 1 claim, $4K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Glendale 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Glendale

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GlendaleDeclared for Los Angeles County only

2025

Wildfires and Straight-Line Winds

5,758 households applied for aid $4.8M aid approved $172K to the City of Glendale for repairs

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$340K to the City of Glendale for repairs

2020

Wildfires

29 households applied for aid

2018

Wildfires

4 households applied for aid

2017

Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflows, and Debris Flows

5 households applied for aid

2010

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Debris and Mud Flows

$161K to the City of Glendale for repairs

2007

Wildfires, Flooding, Mud Flows, and Debris Flows

1 household applied for aid

2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mud and Debris Flows

$628K to the City of Glendale for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides

268 households applied for aid $336K aid approved $3.2M to the City of Glendale for repairs

2003

Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflow and Debris Flow Directly Related T

5 households applied for aid

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

Around Glendale

Glendale and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Los Angelesmostly earthquakesVery high

Burbankmostly earthquakesVery high

Glendalemostly earthquakesVery high

La Cañada Flintridgemostly earthquakesVery high

Pasadenamostly earthquakesVery high

La Crescenta-Montrosemostly inland floodingVery 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. Glendale covers 42 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Glendale’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Glendale. 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 Glendale total about $159M 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.