Natural hazards · Live Oak

Live Oak, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Live Oak comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1983. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Live Oak?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Live Oak to be higher than in 36% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding34%Earthquakes32%Drought27%Heat waves5%Everything else2%

By hazard

What Live Oak faces

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

Inland flooding

34% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 32% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Earthquakes

32% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Drought

27% of expected damage

Recorded about 65 times a year in the area

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 25% of U.S. places

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce 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 Live Oak flood?

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

7paid claims since 1983

$67Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19832026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 2 claims, $16K

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Sutter County.

Disasters that hit Live Oak

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Live OakDeclared for Sutter County only

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

1 household applied for aid

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

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. Live Oak covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Live Oak’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Live Oak. 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 Live Oak total about $1.2M 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.