Natural hazards · La Cresta

La Cresta, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in La Cresta comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is La Cresta?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in La Cresta to be higher than in 48% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes61%Inland flooding21%Heat waves18%

By hazard

What La Cresta 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 · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

21% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 14% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Heat waves

18% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 La Cresta flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in La Cresta.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Kern County.

Disasters that hit La Cresta

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Kern County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching La Cresta itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into La CrestaDeclared for Kern County only

Kern County has had 37 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

Around La Cresta

La Cresta and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Bakersfieldmostly earthquakesHigh

East Bakersfieldmostly earthquakesModerate

La Crestamostly earthquakesModerate

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. La Cresta covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to La Cresta’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to La Cresta. 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 La Cresta total about $2.4M 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.