Natural hazards · Pittsburg

Pittsburg, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Pittsburg comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1982. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Pittsburg?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Pittsburg to be higher than in 81% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes66%Inland flooding29%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Pittsburg faces

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

Earthquakes

66% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

29% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtTsunamisVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

HurricanesIce stormsCold wavesAvalanches

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 Pittsburg flood?

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

7paid claims since 1982

$70Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19822026

Biggest named events

California Atmospheric River: 2 claims, $51K

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

Insurance rates: Contra Costa County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1buildings floodproofed

Disasters that hit Pittsburg

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PittsburgDeclared for Contra Costa County only

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

87 households applied for aid $76K aid approved $426K to the City of Pittsburg for repairs

2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$52K to the City of Pittsburg for repairs

2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides

13 households applied for aid $12K aid approved

Contra Costa County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Pittsburg

Pittsburg and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Pittsburgmostly earthquakesVery high

Bay Pointmostly earthquakesVery high

Antiochmostly earthquakesHigh

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. Pittsburg covers 13 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Pittsburg’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Pittsburg. 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 Pittsburg total about $31.1M 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.