Natural hazards · Patterson

Patterson, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Patterson comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 26 claims here since 1983. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Patterson?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Patterson to be higher than in 60% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes53%Inland flooding35%Drought7%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Patterson faces

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

Earthquakes

53% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

35% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 44% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Drought

7% of expected damage

Recorded about 70 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireStrong windLightningVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsCold wavesLandslidesAvalanchesTsunamis

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 Patterson flood?

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

26paid claims since 1983

$275Kpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

19832026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 15 claims, $168K

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

🏷️ 10% off flood insurance. Patterson is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Stanislaus County.

Disasters that hit Patterson

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PattersonDeclared for Stanislaus County only

2020

Wildfires

16 households applied for aid $41K aid approved

2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$33K to the City of Patterson for repairs

Stanislaus County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

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. Patterson covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Patterson’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Patterson. 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 Patterson total about $6.2M 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.