Natural hazards · Mill Valley

Mill Valley, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Mill Valley comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 144 claims here since 1978. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Mill Valley?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Mill Valley to be higher than in 80% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes53%Inland flooding41%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Mill Valley faces

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

Earthquakes

53% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

41% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningTsunamisVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

HurricanesIce stormsCold wavesDroughtAvalanches

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 Mill Valley flood?

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

144paid claims since 1978

$1.9Mpaid to owners

9homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 4 claims, $23K
Winter storm: 1 claim, $7K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Marin County.

Disasters that hit Mill Valley

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Mill ValleyDeclared for Marin County only

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$75K to the City of Mill Valley for repairs

2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$700K to the City of Mill Valley for repairs

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$408K to the City of Mill Valley for repairs

2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides

42 households applied for aid $43K aid approved $340K to the City of Mill Valley for repairs

Marin County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Mill Valley

Mill Valley and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Larkspurmostly earthquakesVery high

Corte Maderamostly earthquakesVery high

Kentfieldmostly earthquakesVery high

Altomostly inland floodingVery high

Mill Valleymostly earthquakesVery high

Tamalpais-Homestead Valleymostly inland floodingVery high

Strawberrymostly 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. Mill Valley covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Mill Valley’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Mill Valley. 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 Mill Valley total about $10.9M 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.