Natural hazards · Palm Desert

Palm Desert, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Palm Desert comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 218 claims here since 1978. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Palm Desert?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Palm Desert to be higher than in 99% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding69%Earthquakes31%

By hazard

What Palm Desert faces

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

Inland flooding

69% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

31% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingIce 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 Palm Desert flood?

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

218paid claims since 1978

$1.8Mpaid to owners

13homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Hilary: 1 claim, $8K
Winter storm: 1 claim, $812

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. Palm Desert isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Riverside County.

Disasters that hit Palm Desert

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Palm DesertDeclared for Riverside County only

2019

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$13K to the City of Palm Desert for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides

5 households applied for aid

Riverside County has had 61 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

Around Palm Desert

Palm Desert and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Palm Desertmostly inland floodingVery high

Indian Wellsmostly inland floodingVery high

Rancho Miragemostly inland floodingVery high

Bermuda Dunesmostly inland floodingVery high

Thousand Palmsmostly 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. Palm Desert covers 14 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Palm Desert’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Palm Desert. 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 Palm Desert total about $98.7M 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.