Natural hazards · Porterville

Porterville, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Porterville comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 14 claims here since 1978. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Porterville?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Porterville to be higher than in 89% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding78%Earthquakes12%Heat waves10%Everything else1%

By hazard

What Porterville faces

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

Inland flooding

78% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Heat waves

10% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsCold 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 Porterville flood?

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

14paid claims since 1978

$61Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 3 claims, $43K
California Atmospheric River: 2 claims, $9K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Tulare County.

Disasters that hit Porterville

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PortervilleDeclared for Tulare County only

2023

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

689 households applied for aid $985K aid approved $683K to the City of Porterville for repairs

2020

Wildfires

27 households applied for aid

2010

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Debris and Mud Flows

$203K to the City of Porterville for repairs

Tulare County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

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. Porterville covers 12 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Porterville’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Porterville. 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 Porterville total about $28.3M 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.