Natural hazards · Sacramento

Sacramento, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sacramento comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1,013 claims here since 1978. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Sacramento?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sacramento to be higher than in 33% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes49%Inland flooding48%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Sacramento faces

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

Earthquakes

49% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

48% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Sacramento flood?

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

1,013paid claims since 1978

$10.4Mpaid to owners

41homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 48 claims, $188K
California Atmospheric River: 33 claims, $560K
Mid-Winter California Flooding: 1 claim, $3K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (12) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 30% off flood insurance. Sacramento is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 4) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Sacramento County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

35homes raised above flood level

1buildings floodproofed

Disasters that hit Sacramento

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SacramentoDeclared for Sacramento County only

2023

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

$60K to the City of Sacramento for repairs

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

1,915 households applied for aid $1.1M aid approved $3.0M to the City of Sacramento for repairs

2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$431K to the City of Sacramento for repairs

2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides

94 households applied for aid $148K aid approved $433K to the City of Sacramento for repairs

Sacramento County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Sacramento

Sacramento and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Freeportmostly droughtHigh

West Sacramentomostly inland floodingHigh

Arden-Arcademostly inland floodingModerate

Florinmostly inland floodingLow

Rio Lindamostly inland floodingLow

Elk Grovemostly inland floodingLow

Sacramentomostly earthquakesLow

North Highlandsmostly inland floodingLow

Rosemontmostly inland floodingLow

Parkwaymostly earthquakesVery low

Lemon Hillmostly earthquakesVery low

McClellan Parkmostly earthquakesVery low

Fruitridge Pocketmostly earthquakesVery low

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. Sacramento covers 128 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Sacramento’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Sacramento. 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 Sacramento total about $109M 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.