Natural hazards · Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Los Angeles comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1,980 claims here since 1978. 14 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Los Angeles?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

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

Earthquakes62%Inland flooding36%Everything else2%

By hazard

What Los Angeles faces

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

Earthquakes

62% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

36% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtAvalanchesTsunamis

Not a risk here

HurricanesIce stormsVolcanic 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 Los Angeles flood?

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

1,980paid claims since 1978

$26.9Mpaid to owners

135homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 347 claims, $3.4M
California Atmospheric River: 52 claims, $2.3M
February California Atmospheric River: 51 claims, $3.0M

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 3 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (8) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Los Angeles is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Los Angeles County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone homes bought out and moved

Disasters that hit Los Angeles

14 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Los AngelesDeclared for Los Angeles County only

2025

Wildfires and Straight-Line Winds

157,282 households applied for aid $6.4M aid approved $365K to the City of Los Angeles for repairs

2024

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

$2.3M to the City of Los Angeles for repairs

2023

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

$1.3M to the City of Los Angeles for repairs

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$4.1M to the City of Los Angeles for repairs

2020

Wildfires

1,089 households applied for aid $46K aid approved

2018

Wildfires

40 households applied for aid $3K aid approved $3.6M to the City of Los Angeles for repairs

2017

Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflows, and Debris Flows

56 households applied for aid $46K aid approved

2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$2.8M to the City of Los Angeles for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Debris and Mud Flows

$20K to the City of Los Angeles for repairs

2008

Wildfires

469 households applied for aid $137K aid approved $1.1M to the City of Los Angeles for repairs

2007

Wildfires, Flooding, Mud Flows, and Debris Flows

531 households applied for aid $15K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

$7K to the City of Los Angeles for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides

11,291 households applied for aid $7.8M aid approved

2003

Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflow and Debris Flow Directly Related T

7,343 households applied for aid $2.3M aid approved

Los Angeles County has had 74 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

Around Los Angeles

Los Angeles and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Gardenamostly inland floodingVery high

Los Angelesmostly earthquakesVery high

Burbankmostly earthquakesVery high

Glendalemostly earthquakesVery high

Inglewoodmostly earthquakesVery high

West Carsonmostly earthquakesVery high

Pasadenamostly earthquakesVery high

Vernonmostly earthquakesVery high

West Rancho Dominguezmostly earthquakesVery high

East Los Angelesmostly earthquakesVery high

Santa Monicamostly earthquakesVery high

Carsonmostly earthquakesVery high

Rancho Palos Verdesmostly earthquakesHigh

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. Los Angeles covers 1111 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Los Angeles’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Los Angeles. 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 Los Angeles total about $3,199M 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.