Natural hazards · San Mateo

San Mateo, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in San Mateo comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 49 claims here since 1980. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is San Mateo?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

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

Earthquakes63%Inland flooding35%Everything else2%

By hazard

What San Mateo faces

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

Earthquakes

63% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

35% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% 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 Mateo flood?

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

49paid claims since 1980

$665Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

California Atmospheric River: 14 claims, $525K
Winter storm: 1 claim, $2K

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 Mateo 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 Mateo

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into San MateoDeclared for San Mateo County only

2023

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

$174K to the City of San Mateo for repairs

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

227 households applied for aid $852K aid approved $650K to the City of San Mateo for repairs

2020

Wildfires

902 households applied for aid $86K aid approved

2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$24K to the City of San Mateo for repairs

2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides

$37K to the City of San Mateo for repairs

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

Around San Mateo

San Mateo and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Foster Citymostly inland floodingVery high

San Mateomostly earthquakesVery high

Burlingamemostly earthquakesVery high

Belmontmostly earthquakesVery high

Highlandsmostly earthquakesVery high

Hillsboroughmostly earthquakesVery high

Baywood Parkmostly earthquakesHigh

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 Mateo covers 25 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to San Mateo’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of San Mateo. 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 Mateo total about $89.8M 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.