Natural hazards · San Bernardino

San Bernardino, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in San Bernardino comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 87 claims here since 1980. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is San Bernardino?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in San Bernardino to be higher than in 98% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes66%Inland flooding30%Everything else4%

By hazard

What San Bernardino faces

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

Earthquakes

66% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

30% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 13 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsTsunamisVolcanic 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 San Bernardino flood?

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

87paid claims since 1980

$992Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 4 claims, $42K
February California Atmospheric River: 1 claim, $12K

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

Insurance rates: San Bernardino County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1buildings floodproofed

Disasters that hit San Bernardino

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into San BernardinoDeclared for San Bernardino County only

2023

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

148 households applied for aid $139K aid approved

2020

Wildfires

232 households applied for aid

2010

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Debris and Mud Flows

$172K to the City of San Bernardino for repairs

2007

Wildfires, Flooding, Mud Flows, and Debris Flows

349 households applied for aid $45K aid approved $254K to the City of San Bernardino for repairs

2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mud and Debris Flows

$8K to the City of San Bernardino for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides

215 households applied for aid $145K aid approved $877K to the City of San Bernardino for repairs

2003

Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflow and Debris Flow Directly Related T

3,211 households applied for aid $3.5M aid approved $1.0M to the City of San Bernardino for repairs

San Bernardino County has had 56 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

Around San Bernardino

San Bernardino and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Highlandmostly inland floodingVery high

Loma Lindamostly earthquakesVery high

San Bernardinomostly earthquakesVery high

Coltonmostly earthquakesVery high

Muscoymostly earthquakesVery high

Rialtomostly earthquakesVery high

Redlandsmostly 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. San Bernardino covers 48 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to San Bernardino’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of San Bernardino. 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 San Bernardino total about $232M 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.