Natural hazards · North Highlands

North Highlands, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in North Highlands comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 41 claims here since 1978. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is North Highlands?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in North Highlands to be higher than in 28% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding65%Earthquakes31%Everything else4%

By hazard

What North Highlands faces

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

Inland flooding

65% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 43% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

31% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsCold wavesAvalanchesTsunamis

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 North Highlands flood?

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

41paid claims since 1978

$848Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

California Atmospheric River: 1 claim, $70K
Pineapple Express - Southern: 1 claim, $16K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Sacramento County.

Disasters that hit North Highlands

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into North HighlandsDeclared for Sacramento County only

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

92 households applied for aid $84K aid approved

Sacramento County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around North Highlands

North Highlands and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Arden-Arcademostly inland floodingModerate

Rio Lindamostly inland floodingLow

Antelopemostly inland floodingLow

Sacramentomostly earthquakesLow

Carmichaelmostly inland floodingLow

North Highlandsmostly inland floodingLow

Foothill Farmsmostly inland floodingLow

McClellan Parkmostly earthquakesVery low

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. North Highlands covers 8 census tracts, combined by population.

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