Natural hazards · Pacific Grove

Pacific Grove, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Pacific Grove comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2016. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Pacific Grove?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Pacific Grove to be higher than in 46% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes60%Inland flooding38%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Pacific Grove faces

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

Earthquakes

60% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

38% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 25% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningTsunamis

Not a risk here

HurricanesIce stormsCold wavesDroughtAvalanchesVolcanic 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 Pacific Grove flood?

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

1paid claims since 2016

$7Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20162026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Monterey County.

Disasters that hit Pacific Grove

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Pacific GroveDeclared for Monterey County only

2024

Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$60K to the City of Pacific Grove for repairs

2023

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

17 households applied for aid $20K aid approved

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

24 households applied for aid $36K aid approved $142K to the City of Pacific Grove for repairs

2020

Wildfires

14 households applied for aid

Monterey County has had 30 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Pacific Grove

Pacific Grove and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Montereymostly earthquakesHigh

Pacific Grovemostly earthquakesModerate

Del Monte Forestmostly earthquakesLow

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. Pacific Grove covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Pacific Grove’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Pacific Grove. 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 Pacific Grove total about $4.6M 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.