Natural hazards · Malibu

Malibu, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Malibu comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 133 claims here since 1988. 13 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Malibu?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Malibu to be higher than in 87% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding53%Earthquakes37%Wildfire8%Everything else1%

By hazard

What Malibu faces

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

Inland flooding

53% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

37% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Wildfire

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesLandslidesStrong windLightningTsunamis

Not a risk here

HurricanesIce stormsCold 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 Malibu flood?

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

133paid claims since 1988

$5.7Mpaid to owners

62homes flooded more than once

19882026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 18 claims, $476K
February California Atmospheric River: 9 claims, $528K
California Atmospheric River: 3 claims, $379K

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 2 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (7) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Los Angeles County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

3flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Malibu

13 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MalibuDeclared for Los Angeles County only

2025

Wildfires and Straight-Line Winds

2,569 households applied for aid $11.4M aid approved $61K to the City of Malibu for repairs

2024

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

$644K to the City of Malibu for repairs

2023

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

$409K to the City of Malibu for repairs

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

2 households applied for aid $234K to the City of Malibu for repairs

2020

Wildfires

10 households applied for aid

2018

Wildfires

2,274 households applied for aid $4.2M aid approved $2.6M to the City of Malibu for repairs

2017

Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflows, and Debris Flows

1 household applied for aid

2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$277K to the City of Malibu for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Debris and Mud Flows

$59K to the City of Malibu for repairs

2007

Wildfires, Flooding, Mud Flows, and Debris Flows

221 households applied for aid $494K aid approved $145K to the City of Malibu for repairs

2005

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

$699K to the City of Malibu for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides

81 households applied for aid $125K aid approved $4.0M to the City of Malibu for repairs

2003

Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflow and Debris Flow Directly Related T

1 household applied for aid

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

Around Malibu

Malibu and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Topangamostly wildfiresVery high

Los Angelesmostly earthquakesVery high

Malibumostly inland floodingVery high

Pepperdine Universitymostly 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. Malibu covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Malibu’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Malibu. 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 Malibu total about $7.9M 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.