Natural hazards · Palmdale

Palmdale, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Palmdale comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 1978. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Palmdale?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Palmdale to be higher than in 89% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes63%Inland flooding33%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Palmdale faces

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

Earthquakes

63% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

33% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsTsunamisVolcanic 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 Palmdale flood?

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

10paid claims since 1978

$398Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 1 claim, $4K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Los Angeles County.

Disasters that hit Palmdale

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PalmdaleDeclared for Los Angeles County only

2025

Wildfires and Straight-Line Winds

522 households applied for aid $326K aid approved

2020

Wildfires

71 households applied for aid $37K aid approved

2018

Wildfires

2 households applied for aid

2017

Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflows, and Debris Flows

1 household applied for aid

2008

Wildfires

3 households applied for aid

2007

Wildfires, Flooding, Mud Flows, and Debris Flows

2 households applied for aid

2005

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

$98K to the City of Palmdale for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides

229 households applied for aid $93K aid approved $1.5M to the City of Palmdale for repairs

2003

Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflow and Debris Flow Directly Related T

234 households applied for aid $53K aid approved

Los Angeles County has had 74 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

Around Palmdale

Palmdale and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Leona Valleymostly wildfiresVery high

Actonmostly avalanchesVery high

Littlerockmostly earthquakesVery high

Palmdalemostly earthquakesVery high

Sun Villagemostly earthquakesVery high

Quartz Hillmostly earthquakesVery high

Lancastermostly 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. Palmdale covers 34 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Palmdale’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Palmdale. 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 Palmdale total about $88.1M 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.