Natural hazards · Moss Beach

Moss Beach, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Moss Beach comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Moss Beach?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

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

Earthquakes44%Tsunamis35%Inland flooding18%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Moss Beach 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 Moss Beach flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Moss Beach.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Moss Beach 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 Moss Beach

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Moss BeachDeclared for San Mateo County only

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

22 households applied for aid $4K aid approved

2020

Wildfires

4 households applied for aid $500 aid approved

San Mateo County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Moss Beach

Moss Beach and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Moss Beachmostly earthquakesVery high

Montaramostly earthquakesVery high

El Granadamostly 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. Moss Beach is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Moss Beach’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Moss Beach. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.