Natural hazards · San Martin

San Martin, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in San Martin comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1983. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is San Martin?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in San Martin to be higher than in 92% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes47%Inland flooding35%Drought10%Wildfire8%Everything else1%

By hazard

What San Martin faces

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

Earthquakes

47% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

35% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Drought

10% of expected damage

Recorded about 42 times a year in the area

Wildfire

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsCold wavesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Martin flood?

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

5paid claims since 1983

$57Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19832026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. San Martin isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Santa Clara County.

Disasters that hit San Martin

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into San MartinDeclared for Santa Clara County only

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

5 households applied for aid

2020

Wildfires

6 households applied for aid

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

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 Martin covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to San Martin’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to San Martin. 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 Martin total about $8.1M 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.