Natural hazards · Pleasant Hill

Pleasant Hill, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Pleasant Hill comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 34 claims here since 1986. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Pleasant Hill?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Pleasant Hill to be higher than in 90% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes58%Inland flooding40%Everything else2%

By hazard

What Pleasant Hill faces

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

Earthquakes

58% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

40% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesAvalanchesTsunamis

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 Pleasant Hill flood?

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

34paid claims since 1986

$490Kpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

19862026

Biggest named events

California Atmospheric River: 2 claims, $8K

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

🏷️ 05% off flood insurance. Pleasant Hill is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 9) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Contra Costa County.

Disasters that hit Pleasant Hill

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Pleasant HillDeclared for Contra Costa County only

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

34 households applied for aid $30K aid approved $49K to the City of Pleasant Hill for repairs

2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides

26 households applied for aid $28K aid approved

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

Around Pleasant Hill

Pleasant Hill and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Pachecomostly inland floodingVery high

Contra Costa Centremostly inland floodingVery high

Concordmostly earthquakesVery high

Walnut Creekmostly earthquakesVery high

Pleasant Hillmostly earthquakesVery high

Martinezmostly earthquakesVery high

Reliez Valleymostly 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. Pleasant Hill covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Pleasant Hill’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Pleasant Hill. 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 Pleasant Hill total about $34.9M 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.