Natural hazards · San Bruno

San Bruno, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in San Bruno comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 22 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 San Bruno?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in San Bruno to be higher than in 90% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes77%Inland flooding22%Everything else1%

By hazard

What San Bruno faces

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

Earthquakes

77% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

22% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningTsunamis

Not a risk here

HurricanesIce stormsCold wavesDroughtAvalanchesVolcanic 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 Bruno flood?

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

22paid claims since 1978

$302Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

California Atmospheric River: 4 claims, $42K

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 Bruno 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 Mateo County.

Disasters that hit San Bruno

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into San BrunoDeclared for San Mateo County only

2023

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

$40K to the City of San Bruno for repairs

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

48 households applied for aid $81K aid approved $238K to the City of San Bruno for repairs

2020

Wildfires

32 households applied for aid $28K aid approved

2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$110K to the City of San Bruno for repairs

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

Around San Bruno

San Bruno and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

South San Franciscomostly earthquakesVery high

Millbraemostly earthquakesVery high

San Brunomostly earthquakesVery high

Pacificamostly 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 Bruno covers 9 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to San Bruno’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of San Bruno. 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 Bruno total about $27.7M 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.