Natural hazards · San Jose

San Jose, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in San Jose comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 389 claims here since 1979. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is San Jose?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in San Jose to be higher than in 95% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes60%Inland flooding38%Everything else2%

By hazard

What San Jose faces

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

Earthquakes

60% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

38% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtTsunamis

Not a risk here

HurricanesIce stormsCold wavesAvalanchesVolcanic 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 Jose flood?

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

389paid claims since 1979

$10.4Mpaid to owners

7homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 31 claims, $226K
California Atmospheric River: 4 claims, $29K
Winter storm: 1 claim, $1K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. San Jose is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Santa Clara County.

Disasters that hit San Jose

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into San JoseDeclared for Santa Clara County only

2023

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

$543K to the City of San Jose for repairs

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

101 households applied for aid $138K aid approved $948K to the City of San Jose for repairs

2020

Wildfires

653 households applied for aid $27K aid approved

2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$7.0M to the City of San Jose for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

$195K to the City of San Jose for repairs

Santa Clara County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and fires.

Around San Jose

San Jose and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Milpitasmostly earthquakesVery high

Santa Claramostly earthquakesVery high

San Josemostly earthquakesVery high

Fremontmostly earthquakesVery high

Alum Rockmostly earthquakesVery high

East Foothillsmostly earthquakesVery high

Morgan Hillmostly earthquakesVery high

Saratogamostly earthquakesVery high

Campbellmostly earthquakesVery high

Cupertinomostly earthquakesVery high

Los Gatosmostly earthquakesVery high

Sunnyvalemostly 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 Jose covers 203 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to San Jose’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of San Jose. 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 Jose total about $946M 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.