Natural hazards · Kensington

Kensington, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Kensington comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2023. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Kensington?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Kensington to be higher than in 86% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes79%Inland flooding19%Everything else2%

By hazard

What Kensington faces

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

Earthquakes

79% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

19% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 43% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamis

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 Kensington flood?

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

1paid claims since 2023

$5Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20232026

Biggest named events

California Atmospheric River: 1 claim, $5K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Contra Costa County.

Disasters that hit Kensington

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into KensingtonDeclared for Contra Costa County only

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

6 households applied for aid $12K aid approved

Contra Costa County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Kensington

Kensington and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Berkeleymostly earthquakesVery high

Albanymostly earthquakesVery high

Richmondmostly earthquakesVery high

El Cerritomostly earthquakesVery high

Kensingtonmostly 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. Kensington covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Kensington’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Kensington. 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 Kensington total about $5.1M 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.