TownTapestry
Sign inJoin
Long BeachGood evening
Natural hazards · Long Beach

Long Beach, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Long Beach comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 195 claims here since 1978. 12 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Long Beach?

92
Very high
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Long Beach to be higher than in 92% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes59%Inland flooding38%Everything else3%
By hazard

What Long Beach faces

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

Earthquakes

59% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

38% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningTsunamis

Not a risk here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesDroughtAvalanchesVolcanic 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 Long Beach flood?

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

195paid claims since 1978
$2.6Mpaid to owners
13homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Winter storm: 21 claims, $451K
  • Pineapple Express - Southern: 17 claims, $64K
  • February California Atmospheric River: 2 claims, $17K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 10% off flood insurance. Long Beach is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Los Angeles County.
Disasters that hit Long Beach

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Long BeachDeclared for Los Angeles County only
2025

Wildfires and Straight-Line Winds

1,559 households applied for aid $1.3M aid approved $104K to the City of Long Beach for repairs
2024

Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$1.2M to the City of Long Beach for repairs
2023

Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

1 household applied for aid
2020

Wildfires

153 households applied for aid $10K aid approved
2017

Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflows, and Debris Flows

6 households applied for aid
2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$532K to the City of Long Beach for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Debris and Mud Flows

$762K to the City of Long Beach for repairs
2008

Wildfires

153 households applied for aid $19K aid approved
2007

Wildfires, Flooding, Mud Flows, and Debris Flows

587 households applied for aid $39K aid approved
2005

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

$448K to the City of Long Beach for repairs
2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides

1,760 households applied for aid $1.2M aid approved $576K to the City of Long Beach for repairs
2003

Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflow and Debris Flow Directly Related T

3,840 households applied for aid $1.7M aid approved
Los Angeles County has had 74 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.
Around Long Beach

Long Beach and the towns around it

Lakewood: Very high, mostly earthquakesHawaiian Gardens: Very high, mostly earthquakesCarson: Very high, mostly earthquakesCompton: Very high, mostly earthquakesLos Angeles: Very high, mostly earthquakesSeal Beach: Very high, mostly inland floodingParamount: Very high, mostly earthquakesLos Alamitos: Very high, mostly earthquakesCerritos: Very high, mostly earthquakesCypress: Very high, mostly earthquakesBellflower: Very high, mostly earthquakesLa Palma: Very high, mostly earthquakesWest Carson: Very high, mostly earthquakesWest Rancho Dominguez: Very high, mostly earthquakesWillowbrook: Very high, mostly inland floodingLynwood: Very high, mostly earthquakesEast Rancho Dominguez: Very high, mostly earthquakesSanta Monica: Very high, mostly earthquakesGlendale: Very high, mostly earthquakesPasadena: Very high, mostly earthquakesRancho Palos Verdes: High, mostly earthquakesBurbank: Very high, mostly earthquakesInglewood: Very high, mostly earthquakesVernon: Very high, mostly earthquakesEast Los Angeles: Very high, mostly earthquakesGardena: Very high, mostly inland floodingHuntington Beach: Very high, mostly earthquakesRossmoor: Very high, mostly inland floodingWestminster: Very high, mostly earthquakesGarden Grove: Very high, mostly earthquakesSouth Gate: Very high, mostly earthquakesDowney: Very high, mostly earthquakesLong Beach: Very high, mostly earthquakes Long BeachLakewoodHawaiian GardensCarsonComptonLos AngelesSeal BeachParamountLos Alamitos
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Los Angelesmostly earthquakesVery high
Seal Beachmostly inland floodingVery high
Long Beachmostly earthquakesVery high
Hawaiian Gardensmostly earthquakesVery high
Comptonmostly earthquakesVery high
Los Alamitosmostly earthquakesVery high
Lakewoodmostly earthquakesVery high
Carsonmostly earthquakesVery high
Paramountmostly 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. Long Beach covers 113 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Long Beach’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Long Beach. 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 Long Beach total about $316M 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.

The porch light’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Long Beach, CAView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map

Local begins with a boundary.

See what belongs to your selected town.

Loading boundary…

Long Beach is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
Open detailed map