Natural hazards · Montara

Montara, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Montara comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1986. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Montara?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Montara to be higher than in 90% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and tsunamis.

Earthquakes44%Tsunamis35%Inland flooding18%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Montara faces

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

Earthquakes

44% of expected damage

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

Tsunamis

35% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

18% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 37% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

HurricanesIce stormsCold wavesAvalanchesVolcanic 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 Montara flood?

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

2paid claims since 1986

$37Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19862026

Biggest named events

December California Flooding: 1 claim, $35K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: San Mateo County.

Disasters that hit Montara

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MontaraDeclared for San Mateo County only

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

24 households applied for aid $36K aid approved

2020

Wildfires

3 households applied for aid

San Mateo County has had 21 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. Montara covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Montara’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Montara. 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 Montara total about $5.6M 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.