Natural hazards · San Carlos

San Carlos, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in San Carlos comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 48 claims here since 1978. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is San Carlos?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in San Carlos to be higher than in 87% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes77%Inland flooding22%Everything else1%

By hazard

What San Carlos 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 · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

22% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningTsunamis

Not a risk here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold 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 Carlos flood?

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

48paid claims since 1978

$2.3Mpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

California Atmospheric River: 14 claims, $2.1M
Pineapple Express - Southern: 3 claims, $5K
Winter storm: 1 claim, $5K

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

🏷️ 05% off flood insurance. San Carlos is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 9) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: San Mateo County.

Disasters that hit San Carlos

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into San CarlosDeclared for San Mateo County only

2023

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

$430K to the City of San Carlos for repairs

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

99 households applied for aid $548K aid approved $891K to the City of San Carlos for repairs

2020

Wildfires

36 households applied for aid $500 aid approved

2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$23K to the City of San Carlos for repairs

2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides

$20K to the City of San Carlos for repairs

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

Around San Carlos

San Carlos and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Redwood Citymostly earthquakesVery high

San Carlosmostly earthquakesVery high

Belmontmostly 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 Carlos covers 9 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to San Carlos’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of San Carlos. 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 Carlos total about $42.0M 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.