Natural hazards · Pepperdine University

Pepperdine University, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Pepperdine University comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Pepperdine University?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Pepperdine University to be higher than in 82% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes52%Inland flooding28%Wildfire17%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Pepperdine University faces

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

Earthquakes

52% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

28% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 49% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Wildfire

17% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtTsunamis

Not a risk here

HurricanesIce stormsCold wavesAvalanchesVolcanic 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 Pepperdine University flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Pepperdine University.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Pepperdine University 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 Pepperdine University

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Los Angeles County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Pepperdine University itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into Pepperdine UniversityDeclared for Los Angeles County only

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

Around Pepperdine University

Pepperdine University and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Malibumostly inland floodingVery high

Pepperdine Universitymostly 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. Pepperdine University is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Pepperdine University’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Pepperdine University. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.