Natural hazards · Palm Springs

Palm Springs, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Palm Springs comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 129 claims here since 1978. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Palm Springs?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Palm Springs to be higher than in 91% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding50%Earthquakes49%Everything else1%

By hazard

What Palm Springs faces

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

Inland flooding

50% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

49% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningAvalanchesVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingIce stormsDroughtTsunamis

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 Springs flood?

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

129paid claims since 1978

$844Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Hilary: 1 claim, $27K
Winter storm: 1 claim, $9K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 20% off flood insurance. Palm Springs is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Riverside County.

Disasters that hit Palm Springs

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Palm SpringsDeclared for Riverside County only

2023

Tropical Storm Hilary

$169K to the City of Palm Springs for repairs

2019

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$44K to the City of Palm Springs for repairs

2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$35K to the City of Palm Springs for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Debris and Mud Flows

$66K to the City of Palm Springs for repairs

2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mud and Debris Flows

$7K to the City of Palm Springs for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides

34 households applied for aid $19K aid approved $235K to the City of Palm Springs for repairs

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

Around Palm Springs

Palm Springs and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Whitewatermostly earthquakesVery high

Rancho Miragemostly inland floodingVery high

Desert Hot Springsmostly earthquakesVery high

Cathedral Citymostly inland floodingVery high

Palm Springsmostly inland floodingVery 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 Springs covers 17 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Palm Springs’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Palm Springs. 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 Springs total about $70.1M 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.