Natural hazards · Portola

Portola, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Portola comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1994. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Portola?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding47%Wildfire36%Earthquakes13%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Portola faces

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

Inland flooding

47% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Wildfire

36% of expected damage

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

Earthquakes

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtAvalanchesVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsCold wavesTsunamis

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 Portola flood?

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

3paid claims since 1994

$38Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19942026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Plumas County.

Disasters that hit Portola

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PortolaDeclared for Plumas County only

2023

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

$171K to the City of Portola for repairs

2021

Wildfires

16 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$239K to the City of Portola for repairs

2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides

$1K to the City of Portola for repairs

Plumas County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and fires.

Around Portola

Portola and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Portolamostly inland floodingVery high

Dellekermostly inland floodingVery high

Iron Horsemostly inland floodingVery high

Lake Davismostly inland floodingVery 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. Portola is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Portola’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Portola. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.