Natural hazards · Phelan

Phelan, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Phelan comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1999. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Phelan?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Phelan to be higher than in 97% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes46%Inland flooding31%Wildfire22%Everything else1%

By hazard

What Phelan faces

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

Earthquakes

46% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

31% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 13 times a year in the area

Wildfire

22% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Phelan flood?

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

2paid claims since 1999

$78Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19992026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Hilary: 1 claim, $73K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: San Bernardino County.

Disasters that hit Phelan

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PhelanDeclared for San Bernardino County only

2023

Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

23 households applied for aid $60K aid approved

2020

Wildfires

6 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2007

Wildfires, Flooding, Mud Flows, and Debris Flows

1 household applied for aid

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides

8 households applied for aid $5K aid approved

2003

Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflow and Debris Flow Directly Related T

4 households applied for aid

San Bernardino County has had 56 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

Around Phelan

Phelan and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Piñon Hillsmostly earthquakesVery high

Phelanmostly earthquakesVery high

Oak Hillsmostly 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. Phelan covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Phelan’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Phelan. 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 Phelan total about $16.9M 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.