Natural hazards · Paramount

Paramount, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Paramount comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1992. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Paramount?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Paramount to be higher than in 87% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes72%Inland flooding27%

By hazard

What Paramount faces

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

Earthquakes

72% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

27% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Paramount flood?

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

5paid claims since 1992

$30Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19922026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 2 claims, $6K

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. Paramount 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 Paramount

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ParamountDeclared for Los Angeles County only

2025

Wildfires and Straight-Line Winds

132 households applied for aid $28K aid approved

2020

Wildfires

8 households applied for aid

2008

Wildfires

10 households applied for aid $1K aid approved

2007

Wildfires, Flooding, Mud Flows, and Debris Flows

10 households applied for aid

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides

105 households applied for aid $67K aid approved

2003

Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflow and Debris Flow Directly Related T

167 households applied for aid $23K aid approved

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

Around Paramount

Paramount and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Long Beachmostly earthquakesVery high

Comptonmostly earthquakesVery high

Paramountmostly earthquakesVery high

Bellflowermostly earthquakesVery high

South Gatemostly earthquakesVery high

Lynwoodmostly earthquakesVery high

Downeymostly earthquakesVery high

East Rancho Dominguezmostly 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. Paramount covers 11 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Paramount’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Paramount. 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 Paramount total about $27.4M 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.