Natural hazards · Riverside

Riverside, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Riverside comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 31 claims here since 1979. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Riverside?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Riverside to be higher than in 94% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding49%Earthquakes47%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Riverside faces

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

Inland flooding

49% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

47% of expected damage

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

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingIce stormsCold wavesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

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 Riverside flood?

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

31paid claims since 1979

$118Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 5 claims, $24K

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

Insurance rates: Riverside County.

Disasters that hit Riverside

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into RiversideDeclared for Riverside County only

2023

Tropical Storm Hilary

$89K to the City of Riverside for repairs

2019

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$381K to the City of Riverside for repairs

2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$170K to the City of Riverside for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Debris and Mud Flows

$1.0M to the City of Riverside for repairs

2008

Wildfires

1 household applied for aid

2007

Wildfires, Flooding, Mud Flows, and Debris Flows

13 households applied for aid $496 aid approved

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides

60 households applied for aid $72K aid approved $924K to the City of Riverside for repairs

2003

Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflow and Debris Flow Directly Related T

172 households applied for aid $90K aid approved

Riverside County has had 61 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

Around Riverside

Riverside and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Highgrovemostly inland floodingVery high

Jurupa Valleymostly inland floodingVery high

Riversidemostly inland floodingVery high

Norcomostly inland floodingVery high

Coronamostly inland floodingVery high

Moreno Valleymostly inland floodingVery high

Home Gardensmostly inland floodingVery high

Woodcrestmostly inland floodingVery high

March ARBmostly earthquakesVery high

El Sobrantemostly 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. Riverside covers 69 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Riverside’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Riverside. 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 Riverside total about $241M 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.