Natural hazards · Oroville

Oroville, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Oroville comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 16 claims here since 1986. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Oroville?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Oroville to be higher than in 65% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding57%Earthquakes32%Wildfire9%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Oroville faces

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

Inland flooding

57% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

32% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Wildfire

9% of expected damage

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

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesLandslidesStrong 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 Oroville flood?

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

16paid claims since 1986

$517Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19862026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Butte County.

Disasters that hit Oroville

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OrovilleDeclared for Butte County only

2023

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

69 households applied for aid $181K aid approved

2020

Wildfires

783 households applied for aid $2.4M aid approved $269K to the City of Oroville for repairs

2018

Wildfires

1,179 households applied for aid $7.7M aid approved $4K to the City of Oroville for repairs

2017

Wildfires

98 households applied for aid $79K aid approved

2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$329K to the City of Oroville for repairs

Butte County has had 33 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and severe storms.

Around Oroville

Oroville and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Palermomostly inland floodingVery high

Oroville Eastmostly inland floodingHigh

Thermalitomostly inland floodingHigh

South Orovillemostly inland floodingHigh

Orovillemostly inland floodingHigh

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. Oroville covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Oroville’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Oroville. 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 Oroville total about $7.8M 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.