Natural hazards · Indio

Indio, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Indio comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1998. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Indio?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Indio to be higher than in 94% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes54%Inland flooding45%Everything else1%

By hazard

What Indio 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 97% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

45% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingIce 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 Indio flood?

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

3paid claims since 1998

$13Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19982026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 1 claim, $3K
Tropical Storm Hilary: 1 claim, $3K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Riverside County.

Disasters that hit Indio

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into IndioDeclared for Riverside County only

2023

Tropical Storm Hilary

$1.0M to the City of Indio for repairs

2019

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$215K to the City of Indio for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides

3 households applied for aid $2K aid approved $5K to the City of Indio for repairs

Riverside County has had 61 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

Around Indio

Indio and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Coachellamostly inland floodingVery high

Bermuda Dunesmostly inland floodingVery high

Vista Santa Rosamostly inland floodingVery high

Indio Hillsmostly inland floodingVery high

Indiomostly earthquakesVery high

Desert Palmsmostly inland floodingVery high

La Quintamostly 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. Indio covers 20 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Indio’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Indio. 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 Indio total about $74.0M 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.