Natural hazards · Sand

Sand, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sand comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Sand?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sand to be higher than in 82% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes79%Inland flooding20%

By hazard

What Sand faces

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

Earthquakes

79% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

20% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 31% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

HurricanesIce stormsCold wavesWildfireAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Sand flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Sand.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Monterey County.

Disasters that hit Sand

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SandDeclared for Monterey County only

2023

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

17 households applied for aid $42K aid approved

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

2 households applied for aid

2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$89K to the City of Sand for repairs

Monterey County has had 30 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Sand

Sand and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Seasidemostly earthquakesVery high

Sand Citymostly 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. Sand covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Sand’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Sand. 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 Sand total about $3.4M 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.