Natural hazards · Piedmont

Piedmont, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Piedmont comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1995. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Piedmont?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Piedmont to be higher than in 88% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes77%Inland flooding22%

By hazard

What Piedmont faces

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

Earthquakes

77% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

22% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamis

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 Piedmont flood?

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

5paid claims since 1995

$15Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19952026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 2 claims, $5K

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. Piedmont isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Alameda County.

Disasters that hit Piedmont

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PiedmontDeclared for Alameda County only

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

17 households applied for aid $78K aid approved

Alameda County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

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. Piedmont covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Piedmont’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Piedmont. 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 Piedmont total about $15.1M 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.